Beyond The Bloodshed
by Sabam
Summary: Mistakes can never be buried but should one error rob them of their future? The night their lives were supposed to end it really began and seven years later Squall and Rinoa must fight for a chance at their life beyond the bloodshed. *AU-Squinoa*
1. Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own FF8 or any of its characters.  They are all the property of SQUARESOFT.

**Chapter One**

Murderer.  Assassin.  One who kills or tries to kill, secretly or treacherously.  No… He is not one who tries to kill.  He is one who kills, simply.  Murderer.  Assassin.  These terms don't mean anything to him.  Murderer, assassin, or killer: these terms- when used- mean something disgusting, untrustworthy or revolting.  He is none of those.  He is a trained professional, comparable to a lawyer or a pediatrician.  

He is a trained assassin, a murderer, and a killer.  _She_ was too.  The terms don't mean anything to him and they didn't used to mean anything to _her.  However, they do now.  And perhaps that is what bothers him.  _

Lying down on a bed he glares up at the dirty stucco ceiling above him.  Maybe that ceiling used to be clean and white however the smokers that had inhibited this economy hotel in Dollet had made it a dirty yellow color.  Maybe that ceiling had been clean, once upon a time.  Not much unlike his own hands, they had been free of blood until his sixteenth year.  Now they were comparable to the stucco ceiling.

And once again, perhaps that is what bothers him.  Or maybe it is a little bit of both.  The fact that _she closes herself to him, or maybe that he is going through what __she did.  So many lives… So many people.  Is that it?  Is this what remorse feels like?_

In any case, he has half an hour left until he must execute the orders of his mission.  So he lies there, thinking back… To his last mission with _her and _her_ last mission altogether. _

~*~

"It's all about timing." He had repeated, over and over again until she was sick of hearing it.  Every little detail in his memory was sharp and accurate.

She had nodded her head in annoyance, "Ok, now I suppose you want to go over the time table a couple more hundred times?" Her face was young, so innocent.  She was no older than seventeen.  His present self realizes how her features have not changed at all.  

He had grimaced, "You know what I hate about working with you?  You have no sense of organization." He had reproached her and he was right.  And even now, chaos still reigned in her work place.  "If it were up to you, you'd just go in there, slice off his head and leave."

She had smiled slightly, her features bathing in sunlight of the café terrace, "It's part of the art." She had replied.  Maybe she remembers this statement today and wishes she could just slice her own head off.  But she would not.  For his and the children's sake.

"In any case, this isn't going to be a museum exposition and we only get one shot." His voice became lower as a young couple installed themselves at a nearby table. "The mansion doors are heavily guarded by Galbadian soldiers and-"

"The soldiers are pointless.  Stop reminding me because at the end of this job I probably won't even remember that I killed them.  Why?  Because I couldn't give less of a crap."  So cold… Heartless even.  Once again, his present self wonders if she remembers the words that she spoke.

The interruption had annoyed him, "Listen, every detail must be taken into account.  This is all about-"

"Timing." She said dully, "Yes, I know.  Mr. Charles' schedule revolves around timing.  I know.  If we spend more than a minute and a half on those two guards then the course of the mission will be off balance.  Thank you, Squall.  Now that that's been said for the hundredth time, give me the actual mission briefing." 

"That's right, Rinoa." He gave her an annoyed grimace, "Because if we lose thirty seconds more on those guards, we'll be thirty seconds behind the whole mission.  Since I know how much you _love _schedules I've prepared one for you." He slipped her a timetable that included the mission's events.

****

**_11:30:00 – Dispose of guards._**

**_11:31:30 – The maids in the kitchen, preparing Charles' midnight tea.  Time to move up through the mansion to the study._**

**_11:37:15: Arrive at staircase, 3rd stair creaks … avoid._**

**_11:40:00 – Charles in study, maids preparing tea, Rinoa and Squall in study.  Interview with Mr. Charles (Squall's job), flipping cautiously through files (Rinoa's job)._**

**_11:55:00 – All file flipping should be completed, call police (untraced & voice coded) and announce that Mr. Charles is dead.  Tea is ready. _**

**_11:57:45 – Maid knocks on door.  Signal to clean up the area, gag Charles._**

**_12:00:00 – Kill Joseph Charles, escape, avoid sirens.  Run back to hotel._**

"You know, I don't like this." She had said as she scanned the timetable, "We won't be able to do it like this.  It's going to be too hard."

"No, not hard.  Hard is for the CIA.  This mission is pretty much… Impossible." He had replied, drinking his Bloody Caesar leisurely. "That's why they sent us."

"No, I'm not kidding." She had repeated, "The schedule is too precise.  How do we know that everything will be right on schedule?"

"Because it always is with Mr. Charles.  Always." He had grinned at her then.  And she knew he was right.  

"Who gave you this schedule?"  She persisted to know.

"The company.  Specifically, Mr. Ackroyde."  He had responded, now fairly curious to know why she was so uneasy with the schedule.  

"Something isn't right." She said, "Something isn't right in the schedule.  Don't you get it?  The times… Something is wrong."  Her face wore a panicked expression that worried him even more; "There is something wrong with the times."

"Rinoa, nothing is wrong with the times." He had reassured her, "Because it's the company who mapped them out.  Why would the company want us dead?"

Her face calmed a little.  "But … Something is definitely wrong with those times."  She just kept staring at the paper until he finally snapped his fingers and her face looked up.

"Nothing is wrong with the times.  What could be wrong with the times?" She hadn't answered him.

They had then gone back to their hotel, a fairly luxurious one, under the name of Mr. and Mrs. Andrews.  A newly married couple, Mr. Andrews was a stockbroker visiting Timber  to meet with a client.  They were settled in Deling city.  They had passports; they had valid credit cards… A typical Galbadian couple.  

No one really had to know that they were actually unmarried, that they even slept in different beds, that all the credit card funds were fake, that all passports were forged and that Mr. Andrews was far from a stockbroker and Mrs. Andrews far from the model wife.

No one really had to know that at exactly 10:15 PM, Mr. and Mrs. Andrews were fully clothed in black and were up and about, to be more precise, creeping out of their room, taking the staircase and avoiding the elevator at all costs.  At 10:20 PM, they had avoided the streetlights, the cars.  They crept out into the allies and finally they spotted Mr. Joseph Charles' Mansion.  

The front lawn was extensive however, lushly decorated with bushes and hedges.  This had played both to their advantage and disadvantage.  They were free to hide however they had to make sure not to rustle a single leaf.  It was at 11:00:00 PM exactly that Squall Leonheart brought down his elbow on the first guard's cranium.  

There was a sickening cracking sound as he fell to his front.  However, the second guard had no time to react or press any emergency buttons.  Rinoa delivered a swift blow to his stomach, temporarily knocking all air supply out.  He gasped, reached for his gun but … didn't have time to.  Grabbing his wrist and turning it a counter clock-wise direction she waited for the faithful crack before finally snapping his neck in two with a roundhouse kick.

"Ok, let's go." Squall Leonheart opened the door quietly.      

Mindless chattering and giggles could be heard from the kitchen… The maids, undoubtedly.  They passed through the coatroom without making a sound and sneaked down the warm, varnished, wooden hallways.  It took exactly 6 minutes and fifteen seconds for them to arrive at the staircase… Right on time.  

The climbed up, knowingly avoiding the third creaking stair and arrived to the second floor.  They were still going by unnoticed.  They had reached Mr. Charles' study door at exactly 11:40:00 PM.  No less was expected from them either.  

Squall had entered the study with ease and pointed a cold gun barrel on Joseph Charles right temple. "I wouldn't scream; that would be very stupid.  Wouldn't you agree?"

The aged man had froze and dropped his fountain pen on the papers he was attending to.  Mr. Joseph Charles was a wealthy man.  He was dressed in a black pinstripe suit, his shoes polished, his tie straight, his hair combed.  

"You wouldn't mind if we talked a little, would you?  Wait, what am I saying … _I'm_ holding a gun … you wouldn't mind talking at all." Squall had drawled, enjoying his status of invincibility.

The old gentleman had replied in a sneering way, "You assassins … always dressed in black.  Curse you all back to the place you came from."

Squall had grinded the gun's barrel harder on the old man's skull, "There's an old housewife saying that blood washed out of black fabric easily."

Rinoa closed the study door cautiously and strode over to the desk.  She began to rummage through the files and the papers.  The gentleman had been surprised that a woman could be involved with murder.

"Why are you doing this?" He had asked Squall.

Squall shrugged, "Well, I don't know … maybe it had something with plotting the president of Galbadia's demise … gee, that sounds plausible." He replied sarcastically, "And that's exactly what we're here to talk about."

The old man smiled warily, "A man of high power never runs out of resources."

Presuming that he was speaking of the president, Squall had continued with the interrogation, "Right, so … your plan was really amazing, we've got to hand it to you.  Using abandoned ruins to receive your mail … very nice.  However, soldiers raided the Tomb of the Unknown King … and all your men are dead."

The old man's eyes went slightly larger and Squall lit himself a cigarette, "Yeah, including you son … what was his name?  Phillip?  Yeah, that's him.  There was a bullet infraction in two places of his skull … here, we got a picture, want to see?" Squall dug into his back jean pocket and pulled out the picture of the old man's son.

"You'll pay … bastard." The old chap had winced and Rinoa could see from the corner of her eyes, the blinking back of tears.  Was that when she had felt remorse?

"Yeah, as soon as this shit's over, you bet I'm getting paid." Squall had pretended to misunderstand.  "So … any more of your shitkickers out there?  Maybe hiding underground?  Maybe at the Esthar Memorial?  No?  Tears Point, maybe?"

Rinoa glanced at the clock, 11:54:49 … "Squall, times up … let's go."

Squall smiled, "Yeah, this is the part where we call the police.  We're good Samaritans and we're doing the right thing."

He picked up Charles' phone and dialed 911.  Hooking up a small metallic device so the police could neither trace nor detect who was calling, "Murder!  Murder at Joseph Charles' mansion … MURDER!" Squall had screamed into the receiver.  

"Sir, calm down …" The receptionist had said, "We'll send police right away!"

He had hung up and grinned, "When I was a kid … I always loved doing prank phone calls.  Only … this time it isn't a prank."

Rinoa had scooped up all the files that she thought would be necessary and was now eyeing the clock nervously.  "Squall … this isn't working."

His gaze snapped up, "What?  What isn't working."  He looked up at the clock and he saw what she meant.  It was now _midnight.  The maid had not come._

"Just clean up … now!" He hissed and she did.  

"A powerful man … always has his resources." Joseph Charles had smiled then.  A sinister grin, one that predicted very bad omens.  

A knock was heard but no one needed to answer.  A man in a black cloak entered the room, raising in one hand a revolver.  Joseph had giggled in glee, "Mortimer … good friend, you have come just in time for-"

And the old man didn't have time to finish his sentence for the cloaked man aimed and shot Joseph Charles in the head. "Tea?  No, I'm afraid your maids are in no condition to prepare tea." The voice was deep and scarred.

"Who the hell are you?" Squall had asked, fearing though anticipating the answer.

"One sent to kill you and the old man." The figure had no face, the hood covered all, "You have no idea how hard it is to get hold of two of the corporations best agents.  What name do you go by here, in Dollet?"

Squall's lips tightened and he finally responded, "I'm not quite sure how this fits in anywhere."

"Well, I guess it doesn't matter in the end.  Since you'll all join Mr.Charles anyways." And the gloved had raised the revolver once more.  

Rinoa who had stayed silent during this whole exchange leaped towards the figure, giving him a powerful kick in the abdomen.  He was not fazed.  "Ah … you learnt from the best, Rinoa.  Your father?"

She had been taken by surprise.  The figure threw her back and she collided with the wall.  Squall had picked up for her, kicking the revolver from the cloaked man's hand.  It flew off under the dead man's chair.  

Rinoa took one of her own from her pocket, aimed and shot off one of the man's kneecaps.  He bellowed in frustration as he dropped on the floor, not dead.

"Dammit!  Don't kill me … I only do what I'm assigned!" He had pleaded.

"OH FUCK YOU!" Squall screamed, a trickle of blood oozing from his forehead from a blow the stranger had given.

"Squall don't kill him!" Rinoa had begged, holding his armed hand to the floor, "Please don't."

He had glared at her, demanded her, "Why the hell not?"

"Because look." She pointed to the cloaked man's open wallet that had fallen from one of his opened jacket pocket.  Inside was a picture of what was presumably the man's family.  There were two young boys and a middle-aged lady, sitting on a park bench smiling.  Then Squall's eyes narrowed to the golden band on the man's left ring finger.

Squall breathed in deeply, "Goddammit …" He grinded his forehead and grit his teeth in deep concentration.  "I can't let him go." He looked at Rinoa … her eyes were on the floor at the open wallet picture.  

Squall raised his arm and Rinoa removed her own hand.  He aimed and shot.  The cloaked man's body went rigid and then relaxed.  He was dead. "Let's go …" Squall said softly.  He grabbed Rinoa's arm and led her out of the room.  Then they both heard it … sirens.

They darted back into the study and opened the window.  Their initial escape route.  Both descended cautiously down the Victorian mansion and ended up in the bushes of the courtyard.  And then they had ran.  All the way back to the hotel.  Down and up allies, up the hotel stairway and into room 1184 on the tenth floor where they once again became Mr. and Mrs. Andrews.  

"You didn't have to kill him, you didn't have to kill him!" She was doing a great deal of controlling her emotions.  She wanted to scream at the top of her lungs however it came out as a hoarse whisper.

"I'm sorry."  He said and he repeated this over and over again, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry …"

"You killed him, he had kids, you realized?  What if it had been you?" She was slowly losing her grip on control.  "He had a wife, he had kids … you realized."

"I'm sorry …" He repeated, "Rinoa, I'm sorry."

She approached him slowly and pressed her face against his chest, "Dammit, I hate you." And for the first time in a while she let tears fall.  And for the first time, for simply the first time, he held her and he kissed her.

Sammy: Ok, yeah, 95% of this chapter was ALL Squall's flashback while he's sitting in the hotel.  This is my new fanfiction idea so I hope you liked it.  It's my second attempt at DRAMA!  And a lil bit of romance here and there.  You'll see later on.  This is definitely a Squinoa.  So please **_review_!  I need to know what you think!!  Thank you!!**


	2. Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I own a couch, I own a fridge, I own underwear and a TV … but I do not own the large corporation that is SQUARESOFT, nor do I own Final Fantasy VIII.

Chapter Two 

Squall closed his eyes while remembering that night.  The errors made that night were countless and he could recall them all so vividly.  He got up from his position on the uncomfortable motel mattress and ruffled his hand through his brown hair.  Instantly he eyed the telephone on the termite-eaten bedside table.  He longed to call her, to hear her voice again even though it would most likely detain a sharp tone of anger.

He picked up the phone off its cradle and paused, momentarily thinking of what to tell her.  'Hey honey, I'm in Dollet.  I'm on another mission, this time I'm off to kill a drug lord that's on a business trip.' A sardonic smile appearing on his face, he set down the phone again.  

Squall let out a retained breath slowly and reached for his pack of cigarettes, taking one out and lighting it.  Inhaling precious carbon monoxide that bonded with his red blood cells and that had some enhancing effects on his nervous system.  A habit he was never able to 'kick'.

Still twenty minutes to go until 'show time': his mind subconsciously reading the cuckoo clock on the wall.  A short hour ago he was willingly ready to rip the clock apart due to the ugly sparrow that sprung out every forty-five minutes making that excruciatingly annoying 'cuckoo-cuckoo'.  Now he was partly grateful for it since his watch was on his dresser at home.

Swiftly, and his motions never were otherwise, he picked up the phone once more and, before a second thought was put forth, he dialed his home number.  Yes, it was past the kids' bedtimes but he desperately needed to speak to her, to hear her.

"Hello?" After only a ring and a half she was on the phone.  He guessed that she must have ran for it as to diminish the number of rings that chanced the awakening of the children.

"Hey Rinoa, don't hang up, it's Squall." He said this quickly, a pleading tone very apparent in his voice.

"I know it's you: who else has these genius ideas to call so late at night?"  He learned to read her well, she _was_ still angry.  

She barred all entrance routes to conversation, so he stayed silent and awaited his punishment.  It took no delay in coming to him, "So where are you now?  At the other end of the world?"

"No." He sighed and rubbed his temples, "I'm in Dollet." He should have known that calling her was a bad idea and that he would make her anger towards him even worse.

"Oh great, Dollet!" She spat sarcastically, "Doing what?"

"You know what I'm doing." His voice was low and monotonous, "I'm working."

"Un-huh. Is that what you call it then?  Working?" It was a rhetorical question, suddenly snapped from the jaws of vicious argument.

"Rinoa, I just called you because I'm sorry about what happened a few days ago." For once that shut her up, which was quite rare when they were arguing.

Though it held her tongue back for a moment, it didn't last forever, "Yeah, well that's fine.  Especially when you're in Dollet." Traces of sarcasm, traces of resent; however, he couldn't detect the black anger that was there moments ago.

He stayed silent a moment and then spoke again, a little more softly this time, "Rinoa, what were you expecting me to do?"

"I don't know, listen… Alessandro is shrieking about the 'thing' in his closet again.  You may be able to run away from your part but I won't." He could hear the distinct screams of fear in the background right before his wife hung up on him.

He stayed motionless for a second and then replaced the phone on its cradle.  Slowly he sat back down on the bed, making the cheap frame creak under his applied weight.  _You may be able to run away from your part but I won't.  _Guilt settled deep in his mind.  His cigarette had burnt to a stub and so he threw it on the dirty floor, grinding it to extinguish the slowly burning embers.

He closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead.  "I'm running away from my part, she's right." He said this aloud, to make sure he was listening to himself.  "I didn't even know Alex thought there were monsters in his closet… I never asked, I never heard." The guilt grew bigger; it dug deeper into his mind, making him in heavy need for Advil or Tylenol.

Alessandro … Alex … Sometimes referred to as 'Monkey'… The first-born.  He was in first grade now, wasn't he?  About six years old now?  Or seven?  When is his birthday?  Rinoa knows: Rinoa knows everything.  The neglectful father that is himself, however, only remembers how his child came to be.

~*~

She had lain, sleeping, next to him that very same night of many mistakes.  His arm draped over her warm body, he had watched her, examining every little facial feature that she portrayed while sleeping.  

"I've fallen for you," He had whispered into her unhearing ear, "I love you."

And they had awakened the next morning, both feeling slightly embarrassed at the conditions they had awakened in.  However, they did get up and that very same morning they left the hotel to report back to Deling City where the headquarters were situated.

"We've heard of the complications," Mr. Ackroyde had acknowledged at the brief meeting that followed the arrival.

"To say the least!" Squall had exclaimed, "The guy knew exactly who we were, what we were doing… He even knew Rinoa's father had trained her!" 

There was a façade of unreadable emotion on the 'big chief's face, "Well, undoubtedly a professional, you should know this Squall.  If anyone was sent to kill you, even the stupidest fool would send a professional."

Mr. Ackroyde had been right then.  They were professionals, trained to the peak of perfection: who some thought were invincible.  So why would anyone kill them?  Easily answered, however who would want to take the risk?

The questions that had plague him, however, they had began to slowly _kill_ her.  She was only seventeen, far from wanting to die, and maybe that's why a month later she resigned.

"This'll be a short mission, do you two mind going?" Caraway had been flipping through the file while contained the mission briefing.  Mr. Ackroyde by his side had cleared his throat.

"That's fine, I'll go…"Squall had shrugged and turned to Rinoa, "You?"

"I'm not going." This earned her a few gasps from the few people in the room, "I'm leaving."

Her father gave her an awkward stare, looking as if he'd seen this scene acted out before, only with different actors. "Why… Are you leaving?"

"Because, I don't want to… Do this anymore." She had replied slowly, "I'm not sure I can, so I won't."

"I said… _Why_?" Her father had pushed, an infuriated look taking place of the surprised one, "There is another reason…"

Ackroyde had said nothing then, a determined look on his face.  Squall had followed his example.  

Caraway never had been able to make Rinoa tell the reason of her short noticed leave and this seemed to aggravate him to a point of insanity.  

Squall, however, had not wanted to settle for silence.  He cornered her in the hallway, demanding a truthful answer… His luck wasn't any better than Caraway's.

"Why are you leaving?" The question was blunt, the victim unable to escape between the two arms that had implanted themselves firmly on each side of her on the wall.  She leaned on it slightly sighing, "Oh come on, Rin… I know you aren't just leaving because you woke up this morning thinking 'Hey, I think I want to be an journalist!'"

"So what the hell does it matter to you, Squall?" She had said in a low exasperated voice, she had obviously faced the same confrontation with her father.

"It matters to me because… Wouldn't it matter to you if I decided oh-so-suddenly that I wanted to become a freaking bartender or something?" He pressed.

"It would worry me, but I certainly wouldn't poke my nose into what isn't my business." A direct attack, meant to faze him, to shake him off.

"But see, it would be your business… I thought we were friends… Maybe even more… Hyne, doesn't anything mean anything to you?" He felt like screaming it out to her but his voice had to be barely audible so not to catch unwanted attention.

"Squall, it means too much!  Stop this!" She had shoved him off and glared at him.  Never had he seen her eyes so bright with tears… However they did not fall. "Just let me live my life, you would want no part of it.  You can run away from your part, but I can't and I won't!"

The very same words that she would repeat to him for the next seven years spent together.  "Rinoa… What is this?  What do you mean?" He stood there, frightened, unable to expect anything for fear of the unexpected.

"Just… Leave me." She had turned, and she had run, leaving him in the labyrinth of sorrow and hate where he had begged many days for the answers to the cursed questions.  

_I'm so alone, why did you leave me?_

Sammy: Hey, hey!  Second chapter is up!  Thank you to all of those who reviewed; you don't know how much it means to be encouraged!  I know really well where this is going (which is a first for me) and so I will continue writing a chapter per week over the summer!  There shouldn't be any delays anymore since I'm on SUMMER BREAK!  So thank you all for reading, and _please review_!!


	3. Chapter Three

Disclaimer: If I owned SQUARESOFT and FF8 I would be one rich person.  I'd have a mansion, and a super fast computer and a fancy sports car.  I currently own a bungalow, and a shitbox computer and a ricky-tic-tic jeep … do the math.

Chapter Three 

Rinoa closed the door of her son's bedroom noiselessly and crept back down to the living room.  After much hysterics and her daughter waking up as well, she managed to take care of the situation and get them both sleeping again… however, not without struggle.

Turning on the television, she lowered the volume instinctively.  What was on at this hour?  Some political shows, the weather, soap operas, sports… your typical porno.  In a summary, there was absolutely nothing worth watching. 

Flipping through the channels, trying to find something decent to watch, she paused on a news briefing.  Her mind nearly instantly reminded her that she had once said 'If I ever happen to watch the news, this would either mean that I'm bored out of my mind … or that I've gone crazy…' To this her mother had replied, 'Why?  The news can be educational…' And she had rolled her eyes and replied, 'As if I don't have enough problems in my life, must I preoccupy myself with other people's?'

She sighed slightly.  A realization striking, 'Maybe people watch the news to make sure that they aren't the only ones with problems.' She never needed that comfort because she never cared about others.  

'That's partly true…' She thought, 'I care about my kids, my parents… I care about Squall… sort of.' And she forcefully smiled, 'Sort of… in a type of way where I am insanely in love and in deep need of him.' Then she frowned, 'Except when he pisses me off to the point where I see red dots and all I'm thinking about is giving him a good kick in the…'

Guilt slightly begins its course from the brain, directly to the heart.  She just hung up on him… maybe she could have at least added a simple 'Bye, I love you.'  But that isn't her style, it never has been.  

"I love you, more than you'll even know, Jack!" The blonde supermodel was clinging onto a handsome dark haired man… on the television that is; the news briefing was obviously over.

"Woah, what the hell am I watching?" She said this out loud, but watched the volume of her voice.  She had no intention of having an awakened son screaming about the random monster that lives in his closet again.

"I love you as well, Stephanie… please, marry me." The young man was now bent on one knee, in proposal mode.

'Oh bullshit, that's not the way things happen… who watches this crap anyways?' Bitter thoughts form in her mind, 'If Squall had proposed to me that way and not under the circumstances that he was under… I'd be ready to bet that the marriage would have been a healthier one…'

She sighed as she put the television on mute and changed the channel altogether. 'The marriage isn't that bad… just several flaws here and there.  We can't spend two days without arguing, I can never say that I love him to his face and my parents have a knack for calling while we're busy in the bedroom… yeah… not _that_ bad.'

'Oh why can't I come off it?  I didn't live off my teenage-hood and he didn't either.  We're both two malfunctioning adults that can barely take care of themselves and to add on the extra weight, we've got two kids.  Ok that's his fault.  Damnit, what's my problem?  It's _our _fault.'

~*~

"Mom, please, don't tell daddy right away… please!" Stupid, stupid, stupid girl.  Either way, her father would find out, and either way… he would have a blind rage and would refuse to talk to her until the child was born.

"I can't believe you brought this upon yourself, you're just as stupid as me!" Julia had sighed angrily, "You know, sometimes, I think this is a curse."

"Squall doesn't even know yet… please, mom… just don't tell anyone.  Not now, I'm not ready." More pleads, more begging… would they ever stop?

"You're never _going _to tell Squall.  You plan on running your little ass out to Timber and staying there… _out of contact_!" Her mother had snapped back and her mother had been right.  That was part of the plan.

Rinoa sighed, "Ok, I'll tell him.  Then daddy after."

"No more children, Rinoa.  No more." Julia had said firmly, "One is enough, no more."

She hadn't replied, so her mother had repeated herself to make sure that this advice would be engraved into her cerebrum, "Are you listening, Rinoa?  No more children."

And her present self finds irony in the fact that the daughter was stupider than the mother… and exactly a year after the first born, there would be another child.

She still had to survive this one.  She had showed up at his apartment and he had been fairly glad and surprised to see her.

"Hey, come in."  He let her through the door and shut it back behind her, "I was getting worried about you… you… hadn't called in a while."

"Squall, we need to talk." Straight to the point, undeviating, no beating around the bush, no square dancing around the topic… it was better this way.

"No, not now." He interjected, "I really don't want to talk about anything, I don't care how important it is, just shut up."

There was an excruciatingly long silence during which she simply stared at him blankly, unsure of what to say, and even if she had known what to say she couldn't have said it.  She had been told to shut up and she was partly grateful, things would be easier without words.  The only obstacle was how to relay the message.

He broke the silence, "You're here to tell me that you're going away.  Aren't you?"

No reply… she had been told to shut up.  She would obey.  He seemed a little frustrated at this,  "I tell you to do one thing and you do the opposite, but now, at the worst moment possible you decide to listen to me?"

No reply, the less she would say, the less she would hurt him, the less she would hurt herself.  He grabbed her by the shoulders, not roughly but enough to stimulate a certain feeling of shock in her, "Rinoa, why are you doing this to me?"

"Do you think I'm having fun?" A rhetorical question, undoubtedly.  Her eyes narrowed into his pale blue ones, frightened ones.  "Damnit, Squall!  You think I _like_ running away from this?  From everything?  From the agency, from my father… from you?  I'm sorry if I hurt _your feelings_, Mr. Leonheart, but I was considering my own life!"

"Your life?  Your _life_?" Suddenly becoming very angry with her, as if something inside him had clicked.  Something painful: a very stinging realization striking.  He calmed and a hurt expression replaced his angry one, "I guess I don't occupy the same amount of space in your life than you do in mine."

Nothing was going according to plan.  Her breaths had become shallow and quick, "Squall please… you don't want to be a part of this… just leave it be…"

"I don't understand." His voice was softer and his grip on her shoulders was less firm, "I don't get it, Rinoa, explain to me… why are you doing this?"

She took a deep breath, "Could we please sit down?" She eyed the couches and then had thought of how cliché this was going to seem.  At this point she didn't care, she just wanted to get it over with.

"Ok…" He plopped down on the loveseat and she did right after.

"Ok… I'm leaving the agency because I really can't do this anymore.  We've both killed people but I can't anymore… because I just can't.  It's called morals, Hyne, I don't even know how I was able to do it for so long…"

He raised an inquisitive eyebrow, "Morals?  You mean ethics?  Shit, Rinoa… for fuck's sake!  You've done this for how long?  And all of a sudden you think 'Hey, I've got ethics'?  Holy hell, you know what?  This is why I stay away from women: too fucking confusing!"

"Will you stop getting pissed at me and let me finish?" She snapped, "Yeah, it's called ethics, morals, whatever!  You don't have any at all, but that's not my point." Her voice was icy as if she was reprimanding him, "I am just so sick of killing people!  I only know _why _I'm killing them!  I don't know if they have kids, a wife… maybe they even have good reasons for committing the crimes they did!  Who's to judge… _Mr. Ackroyde_?" She said the name with a venomous tone.

"What the fuck have you been doing lately?  Watching social justice channels?" He exploded, "I'm not saying Ackroyde is to judge, I'm not saying anyone is!  It's a _job, _Rinoa; people do it to make money and to bring something to the society.  In this case, we're protecting the political figures so that someone's there to run the country!"

"_Political figures?  _What have the 'political figures' been doing recently?  Oh, there's the whole 'Galbadian President and Whores Have Party' headline from last week's papers… what else, huh?" She breathed deeply and continued, "You know, this isn't what I came here to talk about!  It's my reasons for leaving the agency… why can't you just accept them?"

"Your reasons are for shit!" He snapped and then stopped abruptly, "Reasons?  As in… reasons with an 's'?"  He was trained to notice small insignificant details, "You only gave me one … what's the other reason?"

There was no escape; she had come here to tell him one thing in particular that concerned him in a large amount… "The other reason is the most important one… so please, don't go crazy… ok?"

"Ok…" He looked quite worried now. "Go on…"

"Well… you remember the last mission…?" She mentally scolded herself for beating around the bush.

"Yeah." A quizzical stare following.

"Well… remember that night?" Square dancing around it, she reminded herself. "You know… after the mission?" 

"Y… yeah." He looked slightly flushed at the memory of 'that night'.

"Well, you know…" And she then started talking very rapidly as if she wanted to get it over with very quickly and painlessly, "There are certain biology rules you can't bend, like you have to breath once in a while to get rid of carbon dioxide and of course there are others like you have to eat and also there's this 'cause and effect' one that goes kind of like this…"

"Rinoa, Rinoa, STOP!" He stared at her silently until he finally decided to speak up, "Are you…?"

"Yeah… I am." There was a silence that ballooned up between them; it was so loud that neither could hear anything else.  Suddenly she got up from the couch, "I really have to go.  Bye."

His reflexes were quicker than she was as he jumped up from the couch and grabbed her by the waist before she could break into a run, "No, don't go!  Wait… please?"

She didn't put up a struggle, knowing it was pretty much futile against Squall.  She stayed silent, waiting for him to speak, as she had nothing left to say.  He did, "Is this why you're running away?"

"Yeah, that's it.  I'm just going to go to Timber, like you said, and be a journalist… maybe I'll complete my studies in sciences or something… once the baby is born.  But I'm not staying here." Her body relaxed.

"Stay with me.  We'll take care of this together.  I could keep working for the agency and we'd get a house… or an apartment somewhere.  We could… get married, even."

"Please just let me go." She begged, "You know you don't want to do this, just let me go!"

"Rinoa, I'm not losing you!  I won't let you go… not unless you promise me that you aren't going to run." She didn't reply and he couldn't look directly into her eyes, "Listen, I'm willing to do this, I want to!  I promise, I'll be a good husband, a good father… just whatever!  Don't go…"

So she had stayed.

Sammy: And that's the end of the third chapter.  I got a review that kind of struck me last time.  It was from 'Id'… hey, I just wanted to say how much you made me realize that my stories really have no part before, after or during the storyline of FF8.  I'm not sure why I like to place my stories in alternate universes but… I just do.  Heh heh… ah well, I'm really sorry if it bugs you, but I rather keep my writing style the way it is.  Anyways, yes, this is an alternate universe fanfic… like all my other ones… and so that's that.  Thank you to all those who reviewed last time, and please review again!

Paperback Rider: Never thought I'd be doing this… I'm the new beta reader n_n yay. And I like it. Okay just wanted to let the world know that I'm here… Bye bye!

Ekika: Well, you (Sam) seem to have a very first hand experience with "square dancing" around questions… Meh… All the better to write a story… huh? And… um… Cool. Congrats to PbR for beta-ing… less excruciating… if you get my drift…


	4. Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, don't sue me … it's called fanfiction.  Got a problem?  I don't, I have issues … there's a difference.

Chapter Four 

_The time is now_.  That is what the ugly cuckoo clock proclaimed to him as he stared at it, still sitting on the bed, the memories pounding at his temples.  Bitterness swarmed in his head as he thought about tonight's murder, tonight's… work.  He now knew why she was so sour to the fact that he went out killing people, telling everyone it was his 'job'.  It _was_, there was no denying it, but he used this as a reason, as an alibi to worm out of his sins.

 Dragging his weight off the bed, the mattress groaned in relief as he paced around the room, gathering the necessary items to complete this 'job'.  He shuddered at the mere word, 'Damn it, Rinoa, look at what you did to me.' Suddenly, he did not want to do this anymore.  He didn't want to go out in that town, pass the hookers on their nightly shift, enter the dank allies just to kill someone who may have a perfectly good excuse for his crimes.  'I plead schizophrenia.' Or 'My mom made me.' Or 'The voices in my head are telling me to.' Anything… it would be better than his lame excuse for blowing people's heads off or snapping their neck in two.

_It's my job.  _Somewhere in the room he heard a snigger, 'You're damned to Hell, Leonheart…' The little voices said, 'Damned, damned, damned… the eighth level of Hell, where Satan resides, damned, damned…'

He shook his head roughly and smashed his fists on the moldy dresser.  'I'm going crazy!' His mind screamed at him, 'I'm seriously going crazy…' Had he heard voices just a second ago?  Or were they figments of his half-crazed imagination?  

"Ok!" He said this aloud to make sure he was alone in the room and that no one was infiltrating his mind including a deadly virus called insanity, "I've got a mission to do… resistance group member… kill the man who founded the group against the Galbadian Government… come on, you can do this.  Kill _all_ witnesses present… come on… let's go." His feet obeyed as he slinked his backpack onto his right shoulder and creeped out of the room silently.

***

Rinoa shut off the muted television and yawned.  She had never felt so drowsy before and so she subconsciously checked the clock.  It was nearly midnight.  She had stayed up longer than that before… Why was she so exhausted at this point?  'Stress…' her mind declared to her suddenly, 'Stress… you'll be losing your hair by the time you hit thirty if things keep rolling along…'

The thought of losing her hair or getting wrinkles before she was well into her late forties didn't appeal to her much.  She was only twenty-four, still young… with a family to look after.  Jeremy was already in first grade and Riana had started kindergarten.  The road wasn't getting smoother.  Wrinkles and hair loss at thirty it would have to be.

She shook the fairly pessimistic thoughts from her head and got up from the couch.  Making sure to keep as quiet as possible she tiptoed up the stairs, which wasn't very difficult (she was used to sneaking around), and entered her bedroom.  She made sure to close the door behind her.  The room was extremely dark at this point and fumbling around for the light on the nightstand earned her a stubbed toe.  

Trying her hardest not to swear aloud and curse Hyne for the pain she was causing, she sat down on the bed.  The phone rang and it became an instant reflex, she grabbed it and held the receiver to her ear.  

"You are the biggest moron I've ever met, the kids are asleep!  Couldn't this have waited until morning?" She snapped, expecting Squall's voice to be on the other end.

The person on the other end cleared their throat and then, in a very feminine voice, said, "I see Squall and you have had another fight."

No one could really see this, however, Rinoa's face paled by a tone or two, "Er… hi mom.  Nice of you to call… so late… at night." Her anger returned slightly, "When you very well know of the trouble I have putting the kids asleep."

"Mhmm…" Julia yawned at the other end of the phone line, "Well, it could have waited until morning but I thought I would call you now in case tomorrow never came."

"What?  What do you mean 'incase tomorrow never came'?  Is someone in danger?  Mom?  What is it?  What's this about?" Rinoa rushed out all the questions at once.  Julia had obviously forgotten about her daughter's slight paranoia disorders.

"Good Hyne, will you cool it?  I was just abiding by the old saying 'never leave what you could do today for tomorrow'… will you stop hyperventilating, for Heaven's sake!"

Rinoa who had been taking rapid deep breaths calmed down slightly but remained on edge, "So… what… exactly do you want to talk about?"

"I imagine you and Squall got to each other's faces again and you kicked him out?" Rinoa glowered in the dark but Julia didn't see so she continued along, "And judging by your lack of response, I'm right.  Well, your father has been on many missions as well this past month.  I'm just… getting quite suspicious…"

"What?  Why so many missions are given out?" Again the rapid, deep breathing begun again as Rinoa began to panic.

"Oh, will you stop?" Julia snapped, "Don't make me go over there and attach you to a paper bag.  I'm just warning you.  Maybe Ackroyde is getting ideas about you being with Squall and James being with me.  Agents aren't supposed to be married with families.  Maybe… he's trying to manipulate them to severe ties.  All I'm saying watch out… Mr. Ackroyde isn't fond of you, Rinoa.  Maybe I'm wrong.  Just… take care of Squall, ok?"

"So… dad has… been getting more missions than usual?" Rinoa asked warily.

"Yeah, calls have been coming in at midnight sometimes… it's really odd." Julia said and regretted immediately, as she knew her daughter would fuss or something.

"Oh, yeah, calls have been coming in at midnight here too.  Not from the agency however, from my own mother!" Rinoa snapped back at her viciously.

"Oh yeah… can I ask you a question?" Julia didn't wait for the answer, "Last time I called in the middle of the night you answered pretty breathless, was I interrupting something?"

If looks could kill, Julia would be dead because Rinoa was currently staring a very evil stare towards her dresser, "That's really none of your business, mother."

"Oh come now, Rinoa, I'm your mother… it's not as if I don't _know_." Julia couldn't restrain a giggle; "I just want to hear it from your own mouth."

"Good night, mother." Rinoa hissed venomously before dropping the receiver in its cradle.  She then proceeded to the joint bathroom where she brushed her teeth and changed into her pajamas, all the while muttering obscenities about her mother being a 'crazy old hag'.

Julia, however, stood some time looking at the phone.  She had to physically restrain herself from grabbing up the phone again and dialing her daughter's number.  'I must have hit a nerve…' She grinned, 'But then again… she usually hangs up like that.' 

She wished that her daughter had paid more attention to her warnings.  Julia, herself, didn't fear much from Ackroyde for she had signed a paper stating that she would not reveal the agency's secrets.  Rinoa had refused, stating very clearly that papers meant nothing and that the agency shouldn't need proof of her loyalty.

That hadn't gone off with the boss too well.  Julia supposed that the fact that if any of Rinoa's two kids were threatened… she would cave and speak whatever the kidnappers wanted.  Not that a contract would change much of that.

***

Squall punched the unknown man in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him and swiftly took out his .22 calibers, bulging with a silencer, and fired twice in the man's face.  Swiftly brushing himself off he turned out a small flashlight and searched the man for any keys.  There were none.

The hunter moved on to his next kill.  Silently walking out of the dank storage room, he pressed himself against the wall, keeping a sharp ear out for voices.  Creeping down the seemingly endless hallway he glanced around a corner that intersected it.  He spotted only the tip of a burning cigarette in mid-air.  It was incredibly dark down here but he could make out two or three figures guarding a door.

He couldn't be sure, but he had doubts that they were guarding the power room… his destination.  Using the burning ember of the cigarette, that was most likely to be a joint, as an orientation point he listened carefully to any movements that may help identify other coordinates.

"Shit, that Tiffany is one hot broad…" One of them whispered, "She gets my blood stirring somewhere low each time I see her…"

"Mhmm…" Squall identified the one smoking for when the voice spoke, the ember moved from its location, "That she is… you know what's real interesting though?"

"What?" A voice was gruffer this time; so far, Squall could identify three of them that were present, "What's so fucking interesting, Zell?"

"You know that secret agency that we're suppose to be so afraid of?  The one with the top agents 'n shit?  Heard there's been lots of crap going on there … you know …" The cigarette ember spun in circles as if the owner was gesticulating, "Apparently one of their best agents left a couple of years ago… her name… was Rinoa or something… now _that _was a hot chick."

Squall's blood froze.  Caliber positioned, he shot once to the right of the embers, once to the left.  He heard a splatter and a loud groan as two corpses sank to the floor.  Now the other would pay a higher price than his comrades.  "That hot chick you're talking about… _she's my wife_."

The one presumably named Zell was levitated a few inches above the floor as the agent had grabbed his collar and pressed him against the wall. "Woah, woah!  Leonheart, easy there buddy!  I'm from the agency… I can prove it!  Don't kill me, I was sent here by Ackroyde… you know… I'm a trainee agent… cool it, cool it!"

"Why were you sent?" Squall snarled menacingly, "Ackroyde knows that I could very well do this mission on my own…"  
"Yeah, but he thought you'd need a little help disengaging the power… I'm good with machines… please… lemme down… I can't… breath…" His wish was fulfilled as he was dropped on the floor next to the bloody cadaver. "Ok, thanks… take it easy, jeez… alright… let's get this joint down to zero volts…"

"Not many lights to be switched, huh?  Fucking hallways are as dark as inside my ass." Squall barked, "Get the fuck up, and let's do this quickly."

Zell got up, brushed himself off and pushed his way into the power room. "And I never said I was done with you yet!" Snarled Squall, grabbing Zell's shoulder firmly. "How the hell did you know about Rinoa… and why were you relaying the information to them?"

Zell grinned sheepishly, "I'm not betraying, I swear, I'm not.  Half of these bubs in here already know about the agency being on their asses.  Hell, some knew _your_ name.  Anyways… they're dead, so no worries, right?" 

"You're a fucking traitor…" Squall hissed.

"You're right, I am… but I'm a traitor for a reason.  You'll thank me later." Zell went kneeled next to a little box in the murky room, "Hmm… this should be it." He swapped out a flashlight from his pocket and turned it on, setting himself to work.

"So fill me in…" Squall said gruffly, "It wasn't in the mission file that I was supposed to meet you here."

"Last minute thing…" Zell said absent-mindedly, twiddling with wires, "Ok, so after I finish cutting some few wires… the place is going to go ever darker… that's the only five minutes you're going to get.  So you speed down the hall without any turns… in other words, keep going straight (Zell didn't hear the plaintive growl from Squall stating 'You think I'm a moron, or something?') … The detectors'll be down.  See, they're programmed to observe someone's DNA code, pretty fancy, huh?  My DNA's been imprinted in their computers so I go by undetected.  So go quickly while they're down…"

Squall mumbled something about Zell repeating things too much but Zell talked on, "So anyways, you'll get to double doors, enter the room silently… that's where Jason Banks is.  It's his office.  You might have to kill one of his whores but hey… it's all good, you're getting paid.  And that's it… think you can handle it, buddy?"

Squall eyes blazed with anger, though his voice was cold as ice, "Yeah, I think I can handle it… buddy."

"Right… I heard you don't like to work in pairs… except with Rinoa of course, but then I'm thinking 'Who _wouldn't_ want to work with Rinoa?'" Zell chuckled slightly but not for long.

"Shut the hell up!" Squall hissed, "And get to work!" 

"Ok… here goes." Zell gave his warning and with his Swiss army knife, cut the wire he was holding, "You've got five minutes before the generator goes up, good luck." The room went darker, if it was humanly possible.

Without a word, the silent killer headed out towards his prey.

Sammy: Ok, here it is… the fourth chapter… Geez, I didn't expect it to be so long.  It's not really long… but the way I had planned it out it was suppose to end up way shorter.  Well, not that anyone really minds right… well… I'm hoping no one minds.  ANYWAYS, thank you to all of those who reviewed last time!  Please review this time!  Thank you!


	5. Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I might not own Final Fantasy VIII but I still own my SANITY! *Sees it fly out of a window* Oh shit…

Chapter Five 

He ran straight, never turning, into the darkness. He could barely see a thing, however he could hear muffled voices coming through the walls and they seemed to be very confused indeed. Good, it would buy him some thirty seconds… and sometimes, thirty seconds was all that was needed.

He stopped a moment, taking out his flashlight from his inside jacket pocket. He turned it on and pointed it right in from of him. He wouldn't really want to slam into those double doors and spoil the element of surprise, would he? 

He spotted a shining doorknob only two feet away that was attached, no doubt to a door. He spotted another doorknob. Wonderful… _double doors_. Silently, he turned one knob… and entered the room, shutting the door noiselessly behind him. So quietly, so swiftly that the two people inside didn't know he had entered at all. 

So there he stood, caliber aimed straight in front of him, waiting for the power to come back on.

"Don't worry, Stephanie… don't be scared. Daddy's here…" A cooing voice said. The assassin froze on the spot, rooted there. _Daddy's here_… Did Jason Banks have a daughter?

It was only a matter of seconds before the lights turned on again. He still had a choice. He had never failed a mission before, why should this one be any different? Why should he be so afraid, so reluctant this time? _Kill all witnesses present_… 

There was no choice. The lights snapped back on as the generator began to operate. The first thing that Jason and Stephanie Banks saw was a tall man, dressed in black… with a revolver pointing at the both of them.

The girl let out a shrill scream. She was only around seven years old… the age of _his _son. 'Oh Hyne…' He thought. 'Don't make me do this… oh Hyne…'

Ignoring his conscious, the assassin in him possessed the moment. "It's over, Banks."

***

He couldn't believe it. The aftermath of murder had come back to haunt him. He had gone through with it and even now as he thought of it, it seemed all just a blur.

Shooting once, the decibels of the bang reduced significantly by the silencer. Shooting once more. Taking away a _child's_ life. She wasn't any older than his own son. What had he been thinking? Was he even human now?

These thoughts did not have time to numb him with guilt, for the assassin instinct took over. The bodies did not have to be dealt with, however, his escape route had to be found. The DNA detectors were up again and there would be no chance of Zell shutting down the generator again. 

Unable to help himself, Squall glanced at the bloody body of the seven-year-old girl. She wasn't supposed to die this way; he shut his eyes tightly, not wanting the guilt to pierce any deeper than it already had.

His mind back on his current situation, the assassin inside him opened the double door. 'They could come after me if they wanted to. No one'll catch up, I'll be out of this place in 2.5 minutes.' He thought to himself and then he began to run, down the corridors, turning, remembering his exact route, and setting off the alarms.

***

Sitting safely in a train, Squall Leonheart had resumed to be a normal man. Without blood on his hands, without guilt stinging his conscious. He would soon be back home where he could forget everything… or almost everything.

The cell phone in his pocket began to ring and, his moves as fast as reflex, fetched it and answered, "Yeah?"

"You were supposed to go unnoticed." The rough voice barked and Squall could identify the frustration. 

"Sorry, Mr. Ackroyde, sir… I couldn't find another way," Squall answered dully. He too was doing his best to contain the concrete hatred he possessed for his boss at the moment. Never, had the work file ever mentioned Jason Bank's daughter.

"Don't give me bullshit, Leonhart," The boss snapped back. "You underwent training that cost the government a hefty sum of sixty-thousand dollars! There were other ways out, you were just being an impulsive bastard!"

Squall gritted his teeth and responded, in a very cool manner considering the fact that he was boiling over with anger. "Well I supposed you couldn't spare the funds to keep your other man on the job long enough to disable the generator."

"What _other_ man? You were on this job alone!" The boss spat back.

Squall stayed silent for a moment, slightly confused. Had he not been so angry he would have warned his superior of the immediate threat to the agency, a blond haired man named Zell, however… this was an entirely different situation. "Never mind, sir."

"Hyne, go home and get some sleep or something. Though I gamble on the fact that this is quite hard due to your two kids. Just… I don't know what the fuck is wrong with you." He heard a faint click at the other end and he too pressed the 'Off' button.

He stared out the train window, observing the scenery that was flying by. He was finally going home and he felt great relief towards that fact. He was going home to Rinoa… an angry Rinoa, but a Rinoa nonetheless. He would finally see his kids again.

Kids… Jason Banks had a kid too. Probably he had wanted to spend some time with his daughter that day and instead he got a bullet to the head and his daughter got the same. He was the one who shot them. _What if it had been your family, Leonheart?_

His growing rage towards his chief grew. 'Why didn't he tell me? Why didn't he say what I was to expect, Hyne, I would have never taken up the job! Man, that kid was no older than… than Alessandro, by the blood of hell, what have I done?'

Squall buried his face in his hands and rubbed his temples wearily, 'Rinoa… is going to hate me for this. She's… never going to even look at me again.'

***

"I swear when he gets home I'm going to wring his neck!" Rinoa muttered curses under her breath as she cracked an egg on the counter.

Alessandro cast nervous glances back and forth from his mother and the kitchen clock that read '7:23'. Morning had come… and his math homework was still not done. He wasn't about to tell his mother either. Riana seemed to know when mommy was in a bad mood and this morning she had shook her tiny finger at him warningly, 'Mom's not in it for jokes this morning so you might not want to show her that note from your English teacher…'

It would just have to pile on with the note from his gym teacher, his failed math tests and his principal's warning letter. "Where's daddy gone?" Riana asked, her head resting on the kitchen table. She was only in kindergarten so everything was easy for her. No wonder _she _didn't get any stupid notes from her stupid teachers. He pouted slightly awaiting his breakfast, 'There's a big difference between kindergarten and grade one…'

"He's working," Rinoa replied, checking on the bacon, "But that's not the point, he's not back yet… _that's_ the point!"

Point… point… Alex's seven-year-old mind formed a question, "Mom… why are ball point pens called ball point pens?" Then immediately regretted saying so since Riana shot him a glare.

"Ball point pens are called ball point pens because a moron, much like your father might I add, decided to name them ball point pens. Alex, I don't _know _why they're called like that! Don't ask me stupid questions right now… and forget that I said the word 'moron'…" Rinoa fumbled around a drawer for forks. "Did you finish your math homework?"

"Uh… well… I only have two problems left." He lied. "And… they're really easy… so… I'll… do them… before math class."

"Show me." By the look on her face, Alessandro guessed that she knew, just as well as he did, that his math homework was light-years from being done. "You didn't do it…"

His guess was confirmed so he fumbled around his school bag for his math and emerged with a very tattered looking sheet. "Here." It was utterly blank of any answers.

Rinoa sighed, "Alex…" 

"Agh, you're so mean!" The seven year old exploded suddenly.

"I am rubber you are glue, what bounces off of me, sticks to you!" His mother stuck her tongue out at him. 

"I bet you all the other kids' moms don't make them do their homework."

"Noooo, that's right… which is why there are so many applicants to be a garbage man!" Rinoa said triumphantly and when her son didn't reply she laughed, "HAH! Beat you!"

"It's not fair…" He mumbled.

"Isn't it?" Rinoa threw a pencil at Alessandro's paper, "But you still have to do it, don't you?" She glanced at the sheet, "Four plus eight is twelve. Nine plus six is fifteen … _come on_… write."

Alessandro picked up his pencil in defeat and began to write the numbers that his mother was dictating to him. He should be thankful, at least she hadn't chucked a calculator at him. Actually, considering the fact that she was mad at his father, he should have been thankful with a calculator aimed at his forehead.

Rinoa turned around and began cooking breakfast again. Riana asked meekly, "Mom… are you really that mad at daddy?" She asked this question after she had glanced over her shoulder at the door that she had heard open only a few moments before.

Her father stood there smiling slightly at her. Rinoa, however, didn't notice this at all, "Let's put it this way, honey… if he isn't here in 15 minutes… when he _does_ come back I'll just throw him out again." She said buttering toast and handing them to Riana. She then realized why her daughter was asking that question.

The dark haired man leaned in the kitchen doorway, smirking cockily, "So I'm on time then?" 

Sammy: Ok then, uhm … yaay … chapter five has been written, WOO! Ok, thank you to all of those who reviewed, you really have no idea how much I appreciate your heart-warming comments. I really hope you liked this chapter and I promise many Squinoa moments in the next chapter. Things will begin to get REALLY interesting in the following chapter … I promise you a storyline, heh heh … Anyways, please review! Thanks!


	6. Chapter Six

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII or any of it's characters because someone beat me to it… someone much more rich and refined than I… OK?  Good… now that we've got that cleared… I guess you want to read the chapter, huh?  Well… THERE IS NONE!  MAAAHAA… joking… joking… presenting…

Chapter Six 

****

The dark haired man leaned in the kitchen doorway, smirking cockily, "So I'm on time then?"****

"No, you really aren't…" Rinoa said in a low hiss, giving him the 'when-the-kids-leave-to-go-to-school-I'm-going-to-hit-the-roof-and-you'll-shoot-out-from-the-chimeney-look' that he identified very well.  Only, he just smiled.

"Hey monkey," He ruffled his son's hair affectionately and bent over near Riana, "Can I have a kiss?"  She pecked him on the cheek, happy to have her father back at home.  Though he was more often than not the start of her mother's bad moods… he was usually the one to end them.  How, her feeble young mind didn't know and in this case, innocence was bliss.

He then went daringly towards his wife, "Hey honey… nice to see you in such a good mood due to the fact that I'm back…" He smiled wryly and all he got was a death glare. "Did you miss me?"

"Don't push it, Leonhart," Rinoa warned hotly, "I think you've already exhausted your luck for one day." She buttered another piece of toast and set it down next to Alessandro's still incomplete math homework.

Alex and Riana ate their breakfast without any further comment, even if Alex was burning to ask, 'Why does toast leave crumbs?'.  Rinoa occasionally glared at Squall when she wasn't dictating numbers to Alessandro.

At 7:50 A.M., the honk of a bus caused both children to hurry up and finish their packing, hurriedly kiss their mom on the cheek, hug their father, and speeding out of the house to catch their ride to school.  And hence forth, the Leonhart-Heartilly residence turned to a battlefield.

"You could have been here earlier!!  I know for a fact that your mission was at around 10:30 P.M. and so it must have ended at around midnight.  See, if you take the train from Dollet to Deling it would only take you three hours to get home!  That's almost… four hours unaccounted for!!  _Where the hell were you?_"

"Oh, I've decided what I want for my birthday!" He said randomly, "One of those dog collars that have radio transmission with a little gadget that the owner keeps.  I could wear it around my neck… so you would know where I am all the time." He smirked.

"Oh yeah?  Well _fuck you_!" She snapped at him, pilling the dishes on the counter viciously. For a moment, Squall was quite afraid that she might break a glass or throw a plate at him. However, Rinoa had learned to control certain amounts of her anger.  

"So you still want to know why I was absent?" His courage soon resumed.  Having no immediate answer from his raging wife he applied a thick coat of sarcasm to his words, "Well, I went for a drink and you know those Dollet beers!  Yeah, _you and I _would know one of those Dollet beers is enough to knock out a two hundred pound guy.  Well I had _three_ of them and so I was really hammered!  So I decided to go to a _cathouse, _you know a whorehouse, and…" He had to dodge the oncoming coffee mug that then crashed against the wall.

"I swear to the almighty Hyne above, Squall that if you did _anything _of the likes, you are never going to see the light of day again!" She yelled.

"By the blood of-!  Calm down!  I was just joking, you know… like… ha-ha sarcasm!  Holy shit…" He bent down to pick up the pieces of the mug that had scattered along the wall, "Sheesh… pretty jealous, aren't you?"

"Make another smart comment and I'll tell you kindly where to shove it!" Rinoa retorted venomously and then added under her breath, "Stupid moron, didn't need to go off like that in the first place…"

However, Squall had heard very clearly. "Uh, I hate to remind you and prove you wrong but _you_ are the one who kicked me out of the house.  And I'm willing to bet that you don't remember what the argument was about in the first place…"

"Oh yes I do!" Rinoa replied triumphantly, "It was about _you _being emotionally neglectful!  And you leaving the house for three days didn't exactly improve that problem, now did it?"

"I'm _not _emotionally neglectful, damn it, I'm not!" He yelled back. "If anyone in this room is, it's _you_!  Do you love me, Rinoa?  Do you love the kids?  I don't hear you saying those three words very often-"

"So I don't say the _words_!  Big fucking deal!  You say them all the time, but do you _mean_ them?  Because I think that's the important part!" She snapped back, interrupting, "You told me… you _promised_ me that you'd be a good husband… a good father… and you aren't!"

"I was eighteen!  Eighteen, Rinoa!  I'm trying my best to be the man you want to spend the rest of your life with and at the same time I'm trying to be a good father!  Frankly, you aren't trying anything, are you?" He retorted harshly.

"What do you mean I'm not trying?" Rinoa said, fairly offended, "I try harder than you can imagine Squall… but I just can't deal with your… your… job, whatever you call it, your work!"

"Well what?  I'm a responsible husband and father… I put food on the table, don't I?" He asked fiercely.

"You put food on the table, you are a responsible man," Her voice softened a bit, "But you aren't a responsible husband or father."

"What does a responsible husband and father do then?  Huh?" He asked, irritated, "If putting food on the table isn't enough, well then assign me new tasks!"

"For one, you could quit that stupid job!  You could try _not_ running away from every argument we have and you could pick the kids up from school!" Rinoa stormed out of the kitchen.

"Ok, fine!  I'm definitely not quitting my job but I won't run away from arguments and I'll pick up the kids from school, what time?" He calmed down a little but his fists had not yet unclenched.  He followed her out into the living room.

He would not have known that Rinoa was formulating a plot so simple yet so efficient that he would soon fall prey to. "Four thirty …"

"That's fine.  I'll pick them up." His resolve grew.

"Good, that's great!" Rinoa concluded.

"Great, it's good that it's great!" Squall added, "Now could we go have sex?"

Rinoa gave him a look of great disgust and finally spoke, "No… make yourself useful… do laundry!" She shoved a basket full of dirty clothes in his arms and motioned towards the basement where the washing machine was located.  He smiled slightly, reminding himself that this is how she always was.

Even after their marriage, it was hard to get close to her.  He had grown used to it of course.  He began to slowly separate the clothes into their respective colors.  Then he realized that he had no idea how to do laundry beyond the color separation. "Ah… Rinoa!!" He called out.

Almost as if she was expecting it (and she was) she came down the stairs and said, "Twist dial to Ultra-Clean, yank on it… ooh, look… see?  It starts to fill with water… you following so far?" She rolled her eyes when he shrugged, "You put in detergent…" She filled a cup, "And when it gets a little fuller you put it in… and then when the water reaches its limit… you put the clothes in.  Put in the dark laundry.  Do only this part and I'll be proud of you beyond words.  Come and see me when it reaches second rinse." She immediately turned around and went back upstairs.

He looked, clueless as always, at the laundry and he heard his wife calling out to him from above, "You aren't allowed upstairs until you've done your part… I want to make sure you pay attention!"

"Damn…" He muttered under his breath.  So he pulled up a chair, which was usually used to place the laundry basket on, and he thought about what exactly had happened after he had proposed to Rinoa.  

She had agreed, to his relief but yet she seemed reluctant.  He frowned slightly; it still bothered him even today.  Almost as if being with him was some sort of chore or necessity.  He just wished that once, she would tell him that she loved him.  Only just to reassure him.

He had assumed she withheld some sort of emotion for him since she did accept his proposal.  But did she really have that much of a choice at that time?  He shook his head slightly trying to shake those thoughts from his mind.  

He thought a bit about Rinoa's family.  It was obvious that Caraway held the most concentrated amount of hatred for him… even Rinoa knew this.  He thought about this for some moments… 'Maybe it's because I took away his baby girl…' It was the first time that Squall had felt a tad bit of sympathy towards his father-in-law.  Then there was Julia… she simply didn't really mind him, or so he perceived.  

'Great, now that I think about it… one hates me passionately and the other is indifferent on my presence… just great.' Squall thought bitterly.  He leaned back in the chair… and that was a pretty bad move.  His muscles relaxed and sleepiness washed over him since he had not rested for a few days.  There he fell asleep.

…And awoke many hours later.  "Oh SHIT!" was the first thing to come out of his mouth.  He reset the washing machine dial since he had completely slept through putting the detergent and clothes.  He bounced up the steps (and nearly slipped and fell halfway through) in the search of his wife.  He found her in the kitchen, preparing a chicken for dinner.

"I'm really, really sorry… I feel asleep so I had to restart the washing machine!" He apologized quickly.

"I know, you can go press 'Cancel Wash' because I already did the two loads of laundry while you were sleeping." She had her back turned to him.

"Oh… I'm… really… I'm really sorry, Rin."

"I'm sure you are… and the kids, did you forget about _them_?" His panicked eyes glanced to the clock on the wall that read 4:38 P.M.

He was going to burn in Hell for this one…

Sammy: Hee hee … poor Squall.  Will Rinoa give him hell?  HAH!  Only I know that … so you people will just have to stick around for the next chapter, muwahahaha … I'm evil, I know!  BUT … I just might post earlier if all of you people review!  I'm really sorry if this was a short chapter … but please review and I will try with all my heart to post earlier … like next Wednesday or something.  Thank you all for your encouragement, please review!  **_Oh and I would really appreciate it if you reviewed chapter 5 and 6 individually.  If you don't, that's fine … but … a very big thank you if you do …_**

*Ekika raises her hand* I KNOW TOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


	7. Chapter Seven

Disclaimer: Yeah, I don't own Final Fantasy VIII and you know what?  I'm poor…

**IMPORTANT NOTE: Squall and Rinoa's son's name has been changed to Alessandro (nicknamed Alex).  It's the Italian version of Alexander or Alexandro.  I just find that 'Alessandro' rolls off the tongue better, heh … sue me if you don't like it.  When you read it, read it with some sort of Italian tone … it'll sound better … hee hee …**

Chapter Seven 

****

Squall shifted uncomfortably on the spot, not knowing what to say, exactly.  He had forgotten, worse, he had completely slept through his duty.  She turned around and stared at him defiantly. "I can't believe you forgot the _kids_!  Of all things to forget, the most important slip from your mind into oblivion."

"I… you… I… you said four thirty P.M. so it's not that bad!  I'll be… like… fifteen minutes late, it'll be fine." He was suddenly tripping over his words and was speaking so nervously fast.  He reached for the car keys.

"It's elementary school, Squall!  Logic is your friend, think!  School ended over an hour ago!  They don't do eight thirty to four thirty… that would be insane!" Rinoa snapped at him.

"But you told me it was four thirty!" He argued back.

Rinoa shook her head, "And because I say four thirty, that's ok?  Can you think for yourself?  When Ackroyde tells you that killing this man is fine, then it's fine!  When your wife tells you to pick up your kids at four thirty, then it's fine!  Squall, what do you do on your own?"

The doorbell rang and Rinoa went to open it.  As expected, her two kids were there. "Hi mommy…" Riana greeted and entered the house with her older brother.

"Holy Hell, you kids walked home?" Squall ran a hand through his hair and sat down on the couch as if he'd been reduced to tears.  

The kids gave their father the oddest look ever as if he'd completely gone nuts.  However, their mother gave them a warning look not to speak. "That's right Squall, you're so irresponsible!  You make _my _father look like a role model!"  The odd look turned towards their mother now.

Squall said nothing for a moment, feeling the maximum of guilt numbing his heart.  Feeling her point was easily proved, his wife continued, "Oh, get over it!  They always take the bus home.  See what I mean?  You are so gullible.  Did it never cross your mind that they left in the morning on a bus and so they were most likely to return the same way?" Rinoa rolled her eyes and walked back to the kitchen where she continued to prepare supper.

Squall shot a confused glance at his two kids and seeing no explanation from them he got up from the couch and told them, "Uh… go up to your rooms or something, I just have to talk with your mom privately…"

The kids shuffled up the stairs and Squall entered the kitchen, "Was that… some big joke… or something?" He asked her curiously.

"No… it was just something to prove my point," Rinoa replied simply, putting the chicken in the oven. "You aren't a responsible father, you aren't a responsible husband.  A responsible father wouldn't have forgotten his kids, he would have known they take the bus, he would have known at what time their school ended.  A responsible husband would have remembered the laundry and he could have thought for himself and he wouldn't be so stubborn to ask questions."

Squall stayed quiet, listening to her.  She had been testing him the whole day and he had flunked miserably as she knew he would.  His wife continued, "You are neither a responsible father, neither a responsible husband.  Squall, I don't know…" She closed her eyes and sighed, "I just… can't trust you with anything."

"I'm… I'm so sorry, Rin." And he did look very sorry, "It's just that… I fell asleep."

"Ok…" she replied skeptically, though he could sense the tone of voice that she normally used when she simply didn't care anymore.  The tone she had used when he had cornered her in the hallway about seven years ago.

"I'm… really sorry." He touched her lightly on the shoulder. "Rin?"

She pulled herself away roughly and muttered, "Yeah, I have to prepare supper right now.  Go watch TV or something." He sighed slightly and left her to her work, making sure he didn't get in her way.

The rest of the evening he had decided it wise to keep out of her path.  Until finally, there really was no avoiding that could be done.  He had just stepped out of the shower and she had finished putting the kids to bed.  He watched her slip into bed noiselessly and he soon followed suite.  

He lay facing her back for a while.  Until finally, he rolled over onto his stomach and smelled her sweet scent.  He shoved his face in the pillow to make sure he wasn't dreaming, and he wasn't.  She must have fallen asleep hugging his pillow or something… and then a wonderful feeling washed over him.  Maybe she had missed him.  

"Rinny…?" He asked cautiously.

"Hmm?" 

"Did you… use my pillow while I was gone?"

Suddenly she seemed slightly irritated. However Squall didn't see the faint blush that had rose to her cheeks. "I don't know, Squall, maybe!  I had the whole bed to myself so I really don't know!  Just let me sleep…"

He smiled inwardly.  She had missed him.  With these comforting thoughts in mind he fell asleep.  

***

Bright sunlight lightened the room and Squall awoke to find himself fairly refreshed and (though the guilt was still nibbling at his insides due to yesterday's events) he was filled with a new resolve to please his wife and prove to her that he could be everything she wanted him to be.  

However, his plan was slightly flawed when he glanced at the clock that stated it was noon and three quarters.  "Oh shit!" Those were the first words that came out of his mouth once more.

Hurriedly brushing his teeth and getting dressed (dark jeans and a t-shirt) he ended up tripping down the stairs and ending up with a sore behind.  Scowling, he got up and made his way to the kitchen where he expected (and his expectations were met) to see his wife.

"Morning…" he said cheerfully.  
"_Afternoon_," she replied mockingly.

"Sorry…" he mumbled an apology, "anyways… what are you doing?"

"Work for my dad," she replied simply, "you know… that restaurant he opened up.  Doing the taxes."

"Can't he do them himself?" Squall snorted slightly as he dug in the fridge for some food to fill his empty stomach.

"I'm sure he can.  Just as I'm sure you can walk down the stairs without _falling _down." she said, not looking up from her papers. "Stop rummaging around… I'm making lunch soon."

Squall smiled slightly and he sat down in a chair, opposite to her. "So…"

Rinoa kept punching in random numbers on her calculator, "So what?" she asked uninterestedly.  Squall shifted slightly.

"Well… I don't know… could we talk about something?" He requested nervously, though honestly.

"Squall… I'm doing my father's taxes." Rinoa answered in an annoyed fashion.  He had to bite his bottom lip to keep himself from smiling.  He knew that tone of voice all to well.

"So… you don't want to talk about anything?" He pushed his luck, knowing only too well where it was leading up to.

"You wanna die?" She asked suddenly, putting down her pen, glowering at him, "Since you've been back you've been acting like a little kid.  Two is enough… the third I kill, ok?" And this being too much for him, he cracked a wide smile. "Wipe that smirk off your face…"

"You know… I would have never thought when I _wasn't_ dating you that you would turn out this way at all." Squall leaned back in his chair. "You didn't used to be so snappy…"

"Raising two kids and putting up with am immature husband does that to you," she retorted maliciously however he didn't seem fazed by this direct attack.

"Do you remember when we found out you were pregnant with Riana?" He, once again, couldn't help grinning at the memory.  It had been _quite_ a shock. "Alessandro was only about a year old… or at least he was going to be a year old…"

"He was going to be a year old…" Rinoa corrected, "I was already three months pregnant with Riana when he turned one.  Why are you talking about this?"

"I'm making conversation…" He smiled slightly, 'Just a little further till she snaps and vents off all her anger… then she'll be calm again and she might listen to what I have to say…'

"I'm trying to do Caraways' taxes…" She hissed venomously, "I thought you had comprehended that fact… was I wrong?"

"No, no… you were right as always… I did understand.  I'm just trying to get you to blow up because I'm pretty sure you're still pissed at me…" He tilted on the two back legs of the chair.

"You're right, I _am_ still pissed at you!" She slammed her fists on the table in a frustrated manner, "You're stupid, you're annoying, you're childish, you're irresponsible, you're hard-headed, you're gullible, you're… you're just _everything_ that pisses me off and you just sit there, grinning, because _you_ can read me like a fucking open book!!" She yelled at him. 

"There we go… feel better now?" He asked, not the least bit shaken.

She breathed in deeply and replied, "Yeah, a bit." She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples, "Hyne, _why_ do you do this to me?" It was a rhetorical question; she didn't want nor cared about the answer.

"You know… I'm a good agent… I've never failed a mission you know?"  No answer, "So you can trust me.  Maybe I'm not as reliable and resourceful at home, Rin… but that doesn't mean you can't rely on me.  I know I can be a good father if I want to.  I know I can make you happy…"

"Then why don't you?" It was neither a scream nor a hiss.  It didn't withhold tones of sarcasm, anger or malicious intent.  It was just a simple question that left him stumped.  Why didn't he?

"Because you aren't letting me!" He cried out helplessly, "Give me stuff to do!  Tell me to do the groceries!  I've always been bad at cooking and housework but I can do other stuff… you can't always expect me to fail at everything."

"_Grocery shopping_… are you crazy?" She suddenly exploded again, "There are reasons for 'Friday Night Football'… _no one_ wants to do the groceries!  That's just crazy!"

"I'll do it!  I bet you I can get everything on the grocery list!" He challenged, "No really, I can seriously bet you that I can!"

"Yeah, you're ready to bet your share of the bed for it?" She snapped back angrily.

"Yeah, I really am!  I'll sleep on the couch for the next two months if I can't accomplish this task!  Give me the grocery list and any other errands you want me to run and I swear I could do them without mucking up…" He retorted in a determined fashion.

"Oh yeah?  Fine!  Tonight you do the groceries, because it _is_ Friday, and Alex needs a new pair of shoes.  Oh, Riana wanted to buy a dog and I told her to ask daddy.  Deal with it and trust me, saying no to her isn't the easiest thing on the planet."

"I'll handle all of it.  But… if I win… I want something in return," Squall pressed on, "I just want you to forgive me all of my mistakes up to here, ok?  And as a husband I want a kiss…"

Rinoa rolled her eyes, "You want me to clear the slate so you could fill it up with more mistakes?" She gestured impatiently, "Whatever, just don't screw up the groceries or I _will_ kill you."

"You're on…"

Sammy: Heh heh heh … this isn't really a cliffhanger because you all know how this 'bet idea' works with me.  Don't ask WHY I do this, I just do … I would have never started writing Squinoas if it wasn't for that bet idea so yeah.  Anyways, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE *is on her knees* PLEEEEEEAAAAASSEEE review, thank you all so much!


	8. Chapter Eight

Disclaimer: And God said to me… 'Thou shall not own Final Fantasy VIII' and so I obeyed him.  This would explain why I'm so poor …

Chapter Eight 

****

His eyes followed her as she bustled around the kitchen, preparing lunch for the both of them.  Examining her, he wondered if he would ever believe that she had given birth to two kids.  It seemed impossible to him that her figure had stayed virtually perfect however, he had seen the proof so there was nothing left to ponder.

He heard her curse under her breath as she struggled with a jar of pickles.  Immediately, being the proud male that he was, he offered his services. "You want me to open that for you?"

"No." Her voice detained a certain edge of anger. "I've dodged bullets, fought eight hundred pound guys, underwent harsh training… pissed off the two most dangerous people on this planet, Caraway and Ackroyde, and I'm alive, just fine… this jar of pickles… is not a worthy opponent…" As she said this, the lid jerked off, and she was finally able to access the pickles.

"You know, I'm rather flattered that you remember that I like pickles on my sandwich." Squall bit his lip to retain a smile. "Because I remember that you don't … so you opened the jar just for me?"

"Don't get your hopes too high, Leonhart." She answered coldly. 

***

The kids had come home, the 'peaceful' family had eaten supper, and Leonhart's doom seemed to be handed to him.  After Rinoa had whisked off her beloved husband and children, she had decided to relax by the TV.  Squall, however, had more hellish matters to deal with.

"Ok… we need to buy chocolate!" Riana exclaimed as she saw the mountain of chocolate bars on display in the grocery store. "Lots and lots of it!"

"Uh… I'm not sure if that's such a great idea…" Squall tried to put in uselessly.

"And marshmallows too!"  Alex suggested, holding up an extra large bag of marshmallows.

"Let's all calm down and think rationally…" The unsuccessful father tried once more.

"Oh, and Daddy, I want some candy…" Riana smiled, dumping a whole lot of chocolate in the carriage.

"Wait, sweetie, hang on!" Squall smiled gently at his daughter. "I've got a favor to ask you guys…" The two little kids huddled around their father excitedly. "We need to work together to do the groceries… because we all want Mom in a good mood again right?" Silence followed suite. "Right?" He inquired, now slightly afraid.

"Well… you know, she's only angry at you," Alessandro pinpointed innocently. "She actually helped me to do math yesterday morning…"

Squall's mouth hung slightly open. "But… but… guys, please!  You kids need to help me or else she's going to end up killing me!  Please… can you make the groceries easier on me so that she won't try to poke my brain out with a fork?"

"Mommy wouldn't do that…" Riana gave a wave of her little hand. "She loves you really, she told me so." Squall wouldn't have known the guilt that his daughter was feeling at this moment since it was supposed to be a secret however she did think that her father had a right to know.

Squall grinned, a wonderful feeling washing over him. "Well… we still have to do the groceries, don't we?  So let's all try and make her happy… and I'll take you guys out for ice cream later."

Alex and Riana nodded their heads in anticipation. They were a helpful bunch and Squall was especially happy that they had come along and made the trip a little easier on him.  For one thing… they knew the brands of merchandise better than he did.

"She always buys this kind…" Riana pointed at white bread. "She doesn't like the brown bread very much."

"And she buys butter, not margarine," Alessandro pointed out as Squall had reached for the artificial butter. "I think she gets that from grand-pa."

The grocery had been done and over with in a very smooth manner.  Now they needed to pay a visit to the mall for Alex's sneakers, which didn't exactly turn out the way Squall had anticipated.

"Ok, does it fit?" He asked his son and received a nod. "Comfortable?  You like it?"  He received two more nods. "Ok, good we're buying 'em.  Next stop is for ice cream…"

They had paid the pair of running shoes when Squall had the misfortune of passing by… a pet shop. "Oh my gosh, daddy!  Daddy!!" Riana had grabbed her father's sleeve and had literally dragged him in the shop.

"I want this one…" She pointed a nice looking puppy, a German Shepard looking dog.  "Could we buy it, please, please, please?  Mommy said we could if you said yes… please daddy?  Please?"

Squall Leonheart learned quickly that his wife was right.  Saying no to his daughter was much, much harder than he had predicted.  

***

"Mom!!  Mom!!  We did the groceries and I got cool new shoes and-" Alex started but never finished as his mother's eyes traveled to his shirt.

"Is that ice cream?" She pointed at a brown splotch on his white t-shirt and she received a nod as an answer. "Your father took you out for ice cream?"

"Un-huh!  And not only that but-"

"Mommy, guess what?" Riana bounced in the room happily, obviously under some effects of the ice cream's sugar. "You'll never guess what, guess what!"

"What?" Rinoa asked slowly, unsure if she really wanted to know. "What is it?" Her eyes trailed her ecstatic daughter that was jumping up and down.

"WE-GOT-A-DOG!!!" Riana bounced some more as her mother's eyes went wide like saucers. "We named it Angelo, and it's cute and furry and-"

"I'll be right back, honey," Rinoa shushed her daughter suddenly. "You can tell me all about it right after I go and kill your father."  At that moment Squall walked in, his arms full of grocery bags.

"Hey Rin, we got a dog…" He smiled at her, setting the bags down on the kitchen counter, "You told me saying 'no' to Riana was the hardest thing in the world so I thought, 'Hey, who said I _had_ to say no?'.  So we got a leash, food and everything …" 

Squall was about to go on but his wife cut in with an icy tone, "Yes, that's astonishing.  Just about as amazing as you, you know I'd never thought it was possible for a man's brain to be no larger THAN A PEANUT!!  No really, it's fascinating!" She slapped her forehead in defeat, "You have just taken twenty years off my life, Squall!"

"That's not true, Mom.  You're still very pretty and you'll still be for a long time," Riana spoke up suddenly, her bouncing had now terminated. "And now we're going to have a dog and it's name is Angelo and we'll be happy and you'll live twenty years more…"

Rinoa was silent for a moment and when she spoke to her daughter it was in a calm, gentle voice, "It's nice that you think that, Riana.  But I need to talk to your father…"

"Yeah, you guys better go to bed," Squall interrupted and then corrected Rinoa's previous sentence innocently. "Your mother needs to _bitch_ at your father.  I'll go put you to bed."  
"What makes you think that you can?" Rinoa turned towards him, glowering. "Your thick head?"

"Yes that would be it…" Squall kept smiling slightly at her.

"You know, I was looking up some words in the dictionary yesterday because of the spelling bee and school and everything and I was in the 'i' section and I was reading …" Alex interrupted suddenly, "And I thought that the word 'imbecile' really described you guys well because you tend to fight for no reason …" The poor child didn't really know he was offending anyone however, he thought it impressive that he had actually looked up some words in the dictionary.

His mother's reaction wasn't the one he was expecting, "Imbe-_what_?"

"Alex, Riana… bed… now." Squall shot worried glances towards his wife, trying to make sure she wasn't going to hit the roof. "I'll be up there in a sec…"

Once both kids had left the room, Rinoa turned her menacing glare towards him and demanded him in a low hiss, "He looked up in the dictionary… holy shit, he's seven!  Explain that!"

Squall shrugged, "My thick-head and I have no conclusion, he must get it from your side of the family!  Anyways, I'm going to go put them to bed…" Squall exited the room.

Rinoa stood there for a moment, looking slightly perplexed.  Finally she began rummaging through the grocery bags.  "This is amazing…" She said aloud to herself, "He's even got the brands right!"

Setting down the food she moved upstairs silently, like her training had once taught her, and poised herself outside her son's room, where the door was semi-closed.  

"I'm always scared when you aren't home," She heard her son say to Squall. "The monster in my closet comes only when you aren't around to beat him up…"

"Why is he scared of me?" She heard her husband ask in a low voice.

"Because he knows how strong you are.  He knows that if he bugs me while you're around, you're going to beat him up and stuff…" Alessandro's voice was small and weak, "He's a big bully…"

"I think he should be scared of your mother more than he should be scared of me," Squall answered, "because you're mother is a much stronger person than I am."

"Mom's stronger than _you_?" Alex seemed surprise.  Rinoa's heart softened a little for the man she loved.  'A strong person?  I wouldn't think that…' She thought and she listened on.

"Yeah, you're mom's way stronger than me.  She's a better parent then me… she's a better person.  She's incredible…" His voice was soft as he continued. "I bet the monster doesn't know that… and that's why he picks on you when I'm not here.  But lemme tell you this, when your mother gets a hold of that monster… he's not going to bother you anymore…"

"You think?  Mommy is strong… which is why you always lose when you two fight, right?" She felt a pang of guilt suddenly loose in her stomach.

"No, the reason that I always lose is that I'm always wrong," He answered slowly. "Here, about that monster… you know that baseball bat that I gave you for your birthday?  Well, let's put it under your bed so that way… you'll always feel safe."

"Thanks dad… good night…" Rinoa snapped back into reality.  She noiselessly opened the door and entered the room herself.

Squall attention snapped towards her but she didn't look at him. "Hey… I've come to say good night…" She approached her son's bed slowly.

"Night mommy…" He reached out for her and she understood the gesture.  Bending down she kissed him on the forehead. "Love you, Mom…"

"Me too… night…" She closed the light and shut the door softly as she exited, ushering Squall out as well. "Is Riana asleep?"

"Uh… well… probably not… she… uh… did you hear what I was telling Alex?"  Squall finished nervously.

"I'll go see her…" She said suddenly and pushed her way past him into her daughter's room.  The dog Angelo had been snuck up there along with his food bowl, his leash and many other dog-related items.  He lay, curled up, at the end of Riana's bed.

"Mommy, look… see?  It's Angelo…" Riana introduced. "He's cute, no?"

"Yes… he's cute…" Rinoa scratched the dog behind his ears and the puppy licked her fingers. "Are you happy?"

"Yes…" Riana looked at the puppy from the head of her bed. "He's good… I like him."

Rinoa smiled. "Good.  I'm happy then." She bent down and kissed her daughter on her forehead, just like she had with her son, "So then good night…"

"Good night… I love you, Mommy… and I love Daddy, too…" Riana turned over on her side to face her mother.

Rinoa flicked off the lights. "I… I love you too… and Daddy loves you too…" And shut the door behind her.  She turned to face a puzzled-looking Squall. "Come on… let's go evaluate how great you accomplished your task."

So the two 'adults' descended down the stairs and into the kitchen. "Why did you buy this kind?" She asked, holding up a specific brand of coffee.

"Uh… well… I asked the kids and they didn't know what kind you liked… so… I looked on the package and it was the cheapest one there… and… also… the coffee looked better on the picture than it did with the rest of them."

Rinoa rolled her eyes. "Why do I even ask?" She double checked her list and stated simply, "I think you're missing something…"

"What?" Squall now had the look of a frightened child.

"I just don't know what…" She crumpled the list and began putting the rest of the groceries away. "Help out… come on…"

In less than five minutes they were done. "I want my kiss now …" He leaned towards her, wrapping his two arms around her waist and drawing her closer.  To his surprise (and great bliss) she didn't push him away.

Instead, she positioned her hands at the back of his neck, pulling his face closer to hers.  He leaned over more and kissed her deeply.  Finally, he felt at home.  They broke apart and she whispered something barely audible in his ear, "Let's go disconnect the phones …" 

"Now why would you want to do that, Rin?" Squall asked, grinning slightly.

And for once in a very long time, she smiled at him, "I'm sick of embarrassing interruptions, aren't you?"

So they pulled the plugs to disconnect the phone, closed the door of their bedroom and to their great happiness, they _weren't_ interrupted.

Sammy: I'm so sorry, that was so pathetic … *is laughing hysterically* I'm reeeeaally, really sorry!  Thank you to all of those who reviewed last time.  Thank you all, you guys don't know what it means to me.  Please review this chapter as well (even if it was a tad bit pathetic) and yeah … UPDATES WILL COME SOON!


	9. Chapter Nine

Disclaimer: Listen, I think everyone here realizes that since I'm writing fanfiction and not producing movies that I DO NOT OWN FF8 … so let's just DROP the subject and get it going…

Chapter Nine 

****

'I'm so weak…' Bitter thoughts infiltrated her mind.  She felt so feeble as she edged towards his warm body and called out to him, "Squall?" 

He was still a little breathless, "Mm?"  He turned on his side to face her. "Yeah?"

"Hold me…" Her voice sounded tired and nearly helpless.  He kissed her and wrapped his arm around her waist, drawing her closer to him, "I'm… scared…"

The tip of his nose touched her forehead. "Of what?" His voice was barely a murmur and his grip on her tightened. "Don't be scared… there is no reason…"

She sighed slightly as she shifted closer to him, she was still so cold.  Sensing this, he momentarily let go of her waist to reach for the comforter and pull it up.  Accomplishing this task, his hand resumed its place on her waist, "I don't know… there's so many things I regret…"

His hand moved along her spine, he stopped midway and asked, "What… do you regret?" He was afraid of her answer, fearing that maybe she would finally reject him for good.

"I regret the agency… I regret… leaving Seifer…" The words were forced from her mouth and when Squall heard them, they sounded so dejected and wrong.

"You still… you still…" He began but was unable to finish.  This was what he had been afraid of… his angel had never belonged to him?  Was it all just a big show put on to amuse the general public?  Had he been… a simple puppet?

Her hands reached out and she reached for the back of his neck, pulling his head down a bit and raising her own to meet his eyes, "No… I don't."  

His mind relaxed a bit with this news.  However, just because she didn't love Seifer… it didn't mean that she loved him. "So then… why?" He inevitably had a pouting look on his face, slightly sad.

She smiled slightly. "Well… what we both did was wrong… we shouldn't have…"

"I don't care." His eyes were suddenly cold. "I did what I did without any regrets… it's not like the secret had been kept from them a whole long time… they weren't kept from anything for long, now were they?"

"Had they been informed from the start, we would never have been together…" Rinoa explained softly.

"You say that like it's a good thing." He suddenly was struggling to keep his voice down, to keep his temper under control.  Suddenly, he rose to a sitting position however she put her hand on his chest and brought him back down.

"Could you cool it?" She asked snappishly. "Could we pretend for once that we're a model couple and talk about the certain issues in our life?  Because let me tell you we have loads of them… barrels full."

"Were we a model couple, we wouldn't have issues to resolve.  No, I will not cool it.  Christ, Rinoa, you're telling me that you regret breaking up with your old boyfriend, the one that sliced a blade across my face.  Then you tell me that if we had told our old lovers about the agency in the first place we wouldn't be together… how the fuck do you expect me to cool it?"

"Oh my God!" She hissed suddenly. "Even after sex I can't have a decent conversation with you!  Could we please work together here… right now I need you to just listen, can you?" He remained silent. "All I'm saying… is that maybe we weren't very… civilized…"

"It was about you… it had always been about you, right from the beginning.  I wanted nothing more to do with either of them, even in the first place, had I the choice, I would have been with you," He said firmly. His eyes hadn't still lost their icy shade.

And to this she couldn't speak.  Had it always been about _him_?  No… she had loved Seifer once.  She knew this but he had always loved _her_.  What was she supposed to say? "Squall I…"

"I'm not expecting you to tell me anything…" He turned away. "Good night…"

"Squall… please… don't be mad…" This was a first.  _She _was the one doing the begging and not he.  This happened on a very rare occasion, "I want to talk to you, I _need_ to talk to you.  I need you …"

"Rinoa… I don't want to talk about the past.  I don't want to remember Quistis or Seifer.  I don't care about them and honestly, I can't remember the time when I did," He replied coldly.

"Fine … then let's talk about something else … please, just talk to me…" She hung onto his arm, pleadingly.

He rolled over on his back. "What the hell is with you all of a sudden?"

'I'm weak; so weak… can't you see that?  I don't even realize what I'm saying, leave me my moments with you, Squall… make them beautiful, please…' She thought sadly and then whispered in his ear, "I need you more than ever right now…"

She turned his face towards her; he frowned but turned his whole body towards her and closed his eyes. "Talk about what?"

She moved closer to him, "I don't know… anything."

"Ok, let's talk about your father who threatened to shove his foot up my ass so far that I'd be spit shining the top of his shoe with my tongue last time I saw him.  How's that for a topic?" He asked sarcastically, his hand placed once again on her back.

"That sounds great.  I'd say he likes you more than he did when I told him you were fathering my baby though." He was surprised to hear the seriousness in her tone of voice.

"Ok, let's talk about something else… I'm beginning to get nauseated by the thought of him…" Squall said wearily, "Let's talk about…"  
"How you bought a dog without my consent…" Rinoa pouted slightly at the smile that had suddenly appeared on her husband's lips.

"You said that saying 'no' to our daughter was the most difficult thing to do… so it got me thinking, why should I even say no?" Squall answered simply. "You never said that I couldn't."  
"Yes, well I assumed that you understood that it was out of the question to have a household pet." Rinoa replied, "I wouldn't have thought you'd just buy one."

He opened his eyes slightly, observing his wife's facial features.  He looked into her dark brown eyes and couldn't help smiling a bit.  He observed the pouting lips, the red cheeks and the strand of raven hair that simply fell across it.  He brought his hand to her face a brushed it off, then getting closer to kiss her softly.  They broke apart and he stated simply, "Anyways, I thought you liked dogs."

"When they belong to someone else, yes, I do," She answered him, her eyes remaining closed.  She gave off a little sigh, "When I have to feed them and clean their crap… then it's another story all together."

He stayed silent a moment and then said, "I love you …"

She didn't reply for a while, only traced the scar from his forehead to underneath his left eye, "Ok… I know…"

He suddenly felt a pang of frustration. "And you, Rin?  That's not the way you're supposed to answer me…"

"You know how I feel, I don't understand why I should tell you every five minutes…" She clicked her tongue in an annoyed fashion.

"No, I don't know how you feel.  You never told me," He replied in an accusing tone, "Never, not once.  Help me out here, tell me because I'm starting to go crazy wondering whether or not-"

"Squall, don't push it!" She hissed as her nails dug into his shoulders. "Stop!"

He cringed slightly at the sting and when her hands relaxed he replied, "Fine." He sensed she was quite pissed off from this direct confrontation but he knew she could not know of the immense pain his heart was weathering.  

***

She stirred slightly and opened her eyes. It was morning once more.  As a force of habit, she glanced at the clock on the nightstand and read '7:57a.m.'  Knowing it was only futile to try and go back to sleep she pulled herself from her husbands grasp, slowly and carefully so not to wake him.  He merely grunted slightly but did not move.

Looking around at the piles of clothing that had been shed the preceding night she decides to not bother with it right away and instead entered the bathroom that was connected to the master bedroom.

She closed the door behind her and locked it, almost as if she needed to take the extra precautions and went about doing her morning routine.  She first took a shower, dried her hair, brushed her teeth and put on her make-up (very little but to her it was still part of the ritual).  

She then, with a towel wrapped around her, went back into the bedroom to pick out some clothes.  Squall was still asleep which didn't surprise her at all since he always slept in late and to add to it, he was also a very heavy sleeper.  

She rummaged through her closet and decided on jeans and a long-sleeved shirt.  Her mother's voice suddenly rang in her head, 'you know, after I became a mother I didn't dress like a teenager anymore.  No offense Rin, you look like your fifteen.' She became muttering sub-consciously under her breath, "Go to hell, mom… I refuse to start wearing flowery dresses that makes me look forty…" 

She went to the bathroom to change and then decided to go downstairs.  Closing the bedroom door behind her once more, she slowly descended down the stairs.  She found her son, sitting Indian style on the couch watching cartoons.

"Hey monkey, how long have you been up?" She asked, walking up behind him.

"Since five this morning…" He answered blankly, his concentration on the television entirely.

She combed back his messy dark hair with her fingers.  It was so much like Squall, silky and soft but black like her own.  "You hungry?" 

"Yeah, a bit…" He answered.  The fact that he had been up since five didn't quite surprise her, as he was always an early riser.  She used to be like that when she was younger however when she had hit her thirteenth year she had discovered the beauties of sleeping in.

"I'm going to start breakfast…" She left him to see what the fridge stored … and finally realized what her dear hubby had forgotten the night before.  Milk.

"Alessandro, I've got to go to the store, you want to come with me?" She went back into the living room.  "We have no milk…"

"M'ok …" He said, turning off the television, "Lemme just get socks…"

She noticed he had gotten dressed fully, except for the socks.  She went to the entry hall and pulled on her running shoes and a light spring jacket.  Her son came back down in a matter of seconds and put on his shoes as a windbreaker and they were off.

"Why was your bedroom door closed?" Alessandro asked whilst buckling his seatbelt.

Rinoa shrugged as she started the car, "I don't know, maybe your father closed it." It wasn't a lie… Squall _had_ closed it but she knew perfectly why.

"I was worried that killers had come and murdered you guys or something…" He stated and sounded as if he was still afraid of that possibility. "It's nearly _never_ closed.  Only sometimes when daddy's home or when you're on the phone with someone at night…"

'Shit… he knows too much…' Rinoa thought helplessly, 'Wait a minute… _did he come in?_' She tried as best to look unaffected, "Did you… come in?"

"No… I didn't want to be the one to discover your bodies." He replied simply looking out of the window.

Rinoa raised her eyebrows, "Is that so?" She paid no more heed and just drove on to the nearest corner store. 

Alex, however, began talking avidly, "I heard murderers slit your throat and hit a… an artery…" This was obviously a very big word for him, "And blood spews everywhere and they don't care one bit because it's their job."

Rinoa became slightly edgier as her son went on, "I mean, that's just sick!  What a bunch of creeps!  Mom?  Are you ok?" She had grown slightly paler over the last few minutes.

"Never been better…" Her voice was slightly squeaky, "Here we are, let's go get the milk."  They disembarked the vehicle and entered the store.  Alex went off to the candy section buy Rinoa was used to this so she went to the refrigerated section and grabbed a large carton of milk.

"Why Rinoa… it's been a while, I believe…" A deep voice greeted from behind her.  She swerved around on the spot… and froze as she looked into the piercing gray eyes of her old boss.

Sammy: Y'all can guess who that is?  Good.  Thank you for all your kind reviews, they mean so much to me!  Please, please, please review this chapter and thank you all for reading!  
  



	10. Chapter Ten

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII, everyone knows this by now …

Chapter Ten 

****

"S-sir?" She managed to stutter, her eyes refusing to look somewhere else.  She was rooted on the spot and was so nervous she could have dropped the milk. "Wha-what are you doing here?"

"Come now, any old fellow has to get his own fine cigars from somewhere." Ackroyde smiled, his face was waxy as if he'd stayed inside for quite a while.  Rinoa noticed he had aged very much since she had last seen him.  "This corner store happens to sell the finest …"

"I … I'm sure …" She couldn't help stuttering, her whole body was shaking.

"Yes …" He took a moment to observe her, "How is the family?  The kids?  Your … _mother_?" He pressed on the word 'mother' with a despicable tone of voice that withheld an extreme amount of disgust.

"Everyone is fine.  My mother is fine, as is my father." She felt suddenly defiant and angry.  He had no business with her mother … in fact, she knew he didn't withhold one ounce of feeling for her family.

She was oblivious to the fact that Ackroyde could read her like an open book, "That … is wonderful.  Is your marriage still strong?" Suddenly a menacing smile curved upon his lips.

"As ever." No one in the store could know this but they were conflicting each other to see who would snap first.  "Things are rolling along real smooth." Politeness loss she used the dialect of her teenage-hood, "_Real_ smooth."

"Glad to hear it." His hands behind his back he shifted his weight to the balls of his feet, "Wouldn't want to hear of trouble in my best agents' household-"

"Your _old _best agents." She corrected snappishly.

"You disappoint me greatly, Rinoa." Ackroyde said in a low, deadly whisper.

"Mom, could we buy this?" Alex had returned from the candy section with two chocolate bars, "One for Riana and one for me, please?" He asked and then noticed the old fellow who was speaking with his mom.

"Ah, and this must be Alessandro." Ackroyde's temperament changed slightly, "Yes … you … named him after your grand-father, did you not?"

"Yes … that's right." She placed a hand on Alex's shoulder and held it firmly.

"Poor fellow … died on such a simple mission." Ackroyde hid a smile, "You're grand-father was a great agent … however he was weak where he should have been strong …"

She suddenly felt like spewing out words of hate towards her old employer, 'DON'T TALK ABOUT MY GRAND-FATHER LIKE THAT!!  He died because of you … you're the bastard who … who …' she thought angrily but did her best to reply coolly, "You were the one who sent him on the mission … and you knew very well of his weaknesses …"

"So you blame me?" The sinister man questioned innocently.

Working up all her courage she managed to state in an unyielding manner, "That's the general idea." She turned to her son, "Ok, let's go, Alex.  Good-bye, Mr. Ackroyde.  It's been a pleasure to see you again." She guided her son towards the cash.

"Mom … you're hurting … my shoulder." Alex whined quietly and her grip loosened by a notch, "Who was that man?"

"Shut up … let's just get out of here." She hissed.  When they got to the cash she paid quickly and got out of the store quickly.  When they got into the car she sat there for thirty seconds clutching the steering wheel, breathing deeply.

"M-mommy?" Alex was, needless to say, getting quite scared of his mother's attitude, "Are you ok?"

She did not look at her son, "N-n-never b-been better." She stuttered and started the car, "Just … just a little … a little scared." She was still shaking.

"Mommy stop …" Alessandro put his small hand on her wrist, it looked like he was about to burst into tears, "You're scaring me."

"Ok, sorry, monkey …" She leaned back in the car seat and took a deep breath, "I was just … really … really creeped out.  Let's just go home now." However, Alex noticed that his mother was still shaking.

***

When they arrived back home, Squall and Riana were sitting at the kitchen table eating the cereal from the box.  They were both quite curious to know where Rinoa and Alex had been during the past forty-five minutes.

"That's 45 minutes unaccounted for … where were you?" Squall put on a mocking imitation of his wife's voice, "I'm getting you a dog-collar for your birthday … I know the time table of trains, you could have been here earlier … where were you?"

"SHUT UP, SQUALL!" Even Riana jumped slightly, her hand in the cereal box stopped mid-way.

"I … sense … you … are … in a bad mood?" Squall spoke up innocently, in a weak and frail voice.  His eyes were wide like saucers, the whole kitchen was silent looking at the infuriated woman.

She had started shaking uncontrollably again, "I swear that man wants to kill me …" She looked at Squall pleadingly, not really caring anymore if the kids were present.  They needed to talk about this now.  Alex's jaw dropped slightly as he kept looking at his parents, Riana had never gotten to the bottom of the cereal box.

Squall got up from his chair, "Aw, come on Rin … he just doesn't like you very much … he … he doesn't want to kill you and, kids go play upstairs or something …" He looked at his two children, "Come on … go."

"But we want to stay …" Alex whined slightly.

"GO!" The kids had never quite seen their father so angry at anything before, "I didn't give you a choice." His blue eyes that were usually calm where now darker and meaner than they had ever seen them.  Both Riana and Alex shuffled out of the room silently.

Rinoa's nails dug into the counter and her head was down, "I'm so scared … God, he's going to kill me, I swear he's probably sending someone over right now, I HATE HIM!"

"Christ, Rinoa … calm down.  He hates you, I won't deny that much and yeah, he is probably thinking of snapping your neck in two but that won't happen, ok?" He wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her head, "I'm here.  He can't send anyone and he won't … he won't bother us."

"Squall … will we ever live a normal life?  Or has everything been screwed up in advance?" She asked weakly, "I want to go some where else … be someone else and pretend everything is ok …"

"Rin … I'll quit …" Squall offered meekly, "I'll quit the agency.  We'll sign some papers with Ackroyde and just forget everything.  Come on, what do you say?  For the kids?"

She went a little more rigid (if that was possible) with shock. The words that she had silently been begging him to say had finally been said. A new feeling of relief washed over her suddenly and she wanted nothing more but to tell him how she felt. 'He asked last night … I want to answer him today …'

Why hadn't she told him last night? 'Because of the promise I made. But now it doesn't matter anymore … does it?' She thought back to the day she had told her grand-father she was pregnant …

_~*~_

_"Grand-pa, don't worry … it's ok … everything will be fine … because … well, because he loves me and I love him." She had told him. The old, broken man leaned back in the armchair, rubbing his temples in sorrow._

_"Rinny …" He began and the teenager listened intently with all the respect she withheld for her grand-father … for her mentor … for one of the best agents in the corporation. "You shouldn't have … things will get very complicated for you now … and … if you really do love him … then don't tell him so."_

_The girl was slightly confused now, "Why? What would be the harm?"_

_"Because … if he truly loves you … then he will quit the agency to devote everything to you. And if that happens, there will be no peaceful link between you and Ackroyde … and so he will strike. Rinny, promise your grand-father that you will not tell him."_

_"Fine … I promise …"_

~*~

Her last promise to her grand-father … did it matter anymore? Either way, Squall was quitting so it didn't matter … did it? And yet, now that she wanted to tell him so badly … she couldn't. She couldn't speak … she couldn't open her mouth.

Neither of them knew that their children were standing very close to the kitchen, listening to every word.  They didn't quite understand much however they knew that something oddly suspicious was going on.  In their young minds, conclusions were forming.

And then the doorbell rang, bringing all four people in the house to their senses.

Sammy-Chan: Short and pitiful chapter, I'm deeply sorry.  I wager the next chapter will be a tad longer and I'll try my hardest to make it more interesting than this one.  Please review and be honest, thank you so much for your support!


	11. Chapter Eleven

Disclaimer: I may not own Final Fantasy VIII but I STILL HAVE MY SANITY!!!  AAHAHAHAHAAHAHAAA!!!  *Sammy-Chan's sanity can be seen flying out of the window*

Chapter Eleven 

****

"Hey mom …" Rinoa said wearily answering the door, "Dad …" 

"Thought we'd drop by for breakfast!" Julia explained happily as she allowed herself in the house, her husband grunted an agreement and followed her while his daughter shut the door behind them.

Rinoa was still very much nervous but she tried acting her calmest.  Squall, who had been semi-calm suddenly became a little more agitated, "Mrs. Heartilly … Caraway."

"Hello Squall …" Julia replied though Caraway only glared long and hard at his son-in-law, "Alex, Riana!" The grandmother hugged her two grandchildren; "We're taking you out this afternoon!" The two children seemed, to the two parents, to have popped out of nowhere.

"Oh, to a toy store?" Riana clapped her hands joyfully.

"Ma, I'd really appreciate if you told me before making decisions involving my kids." Rinoa sighed as she rubbed her temples.

"As I would appreciate it if you _didn't_ disconnect the phone lines because I tried calling you to tell you last night … and you're completely screwing up my annoying mother role." Julia smirked slightly as Rinoa's face vaulted. 

Squall only flushed whilst thinking, 'Holy shit, the old lady's psychic!'  Caraway looked slightly confused, "What do you mean by the phones were disconnected?"

"Yeah, I'll go start breakfast." Rinoa suddenly changed the subject, "Mother, might want to make yourself useful?" She glowered at her young mother.  The age difference between Julia and Rinoa was the same as Rinoa's age gap with Alessandro.

"Ah yes, then I could criticize your methods." Julia joked while smiling slightly as she followed her daughter in the kitchen.  "And we could talk more about the disconnection of the phones …"

Squall remained with his father in law and tried helplessly to break the ice, "Well … how've you been in the restaurant business?"

" … It's been good." Caraway replied coldly.

Riana had followed her mother and grandmother into the kitchen though Alex had remained, twiddling his thumbs aimlessly, suddenly a question formed in his head, "Humans die if they don't breath for a while, right?"

Before Squall had the opportunity to reply, Caraway was already on the ball, "That is an excellent question, Alessandro.  You're a bright boy; you must get it from our side …" He sneered at Squall who only glared back, "I think the best way to answer your question is to try a human experiment.  Personally, I think your father would make the perfect guinea pig …"

"Think … _you think_?" Squall's temper suddenly flared, "Sure there, buddy.  You think a lot but you still don't got too many marbles rolling up here, do you?" He pointed to his head to demonstrate, "Listen, I'm really sorry if I ruined your whole life by-"

"Squall!" Came a warning voice from the kitchen.

"Clam it, James!" Another surfaced.

Both feuding men held back their tongues but continued to look fiercely at one another, their looks so intense that words were not needed to relay emotions.

***

"Make another one of your smart comment and I will shove my foot so far up your ass that you'll be crapping out shoe-shaped turds for a month, at least!" Caraway threatened, pounding his fists on the table angrily.

All hell had broken loose once more and even the children's presence deranged nothing in the argument … the two men were at each other's throats once more, "Do you have some sort of obsession with my ass?  Because you seem to talk a lot about it!" Squall snapped back.

Rinoa was constructing a small catapult out of a spoon and a knife laid out on its side.  She loaded it with a piece of scramble egg … and fired.

"THAT WAS MY EYE!" Squall yelled out suddenly, placing his hand on his wounded eye for a moment before glaring at his wife.

Caraway snickered but in response got a spoonful of beans splotched on his forehead from his own spouse.  "Julia, damn it!"

There was an awkward silence only broken when the two kids at the table burst out laughing at their mother and grandmother's ingenuity.  That's when the four other children (because it would be a lie to call them adults) broke into smiles, forgetting temporarily their disagreements.

"By the way, no one's answered my question yet …" Alex said after a while, pouting, "Do humans die without air?"

Riana clicked her tongue in an annoyed fashion, "Stop being a moron, Alex.  Of course people die without any air.  You try holding your breath for five minutes straight, tell me about it later!" She said as-a-matter-a-factly and rolled her eyes.

"Riana!  Don't call your brother a moron!" Rinoa reprimanded.

"You call daddy a moron all the time and he's your … your husband." She had to search for the right word for what her father was to her mother.

"Oh ho!  Busted …" Squall smirked at Rinoa who only glared back angrily.  The rest of the meal went by rather silently, save for Julia's occasional giggles.

To the eyes of outsiders, this family was simply picture-perfect.  Squall and Rinoa were very beautiful people (physically) and they sounded to be quite pleasant (socially) since they kept up fairly friendly conversations with their neighbors.  

The children were polite and had inherited their parent's good looks.  The daughter was an exceptionally bright child and the son, though his habit of asking random questions, was quite the potential athlete.  

Of course these were just rumors, more accurately … they were assumptions.  Most were correct however, no one knew of the Leonheart-Heartilly problems.  It seemed to some, that they had none, causing stares of utter jealousy.  Some of these stares annoyed Rinoa to the point where she had the urge of shooting that person on the spot, yes that urge had still remained with her throughout.  

When waving good-bye to her kids going off with their grandparents and receiving those stares of sheer covetousness from her right neighbor, Mrs. Brenden, she actually considered yelling out something fretfully obscene.

Mrs. Brenden who was examining her growing rose bushes waved her and Squall over to the fence, "Why hello, Rinoa.  Squall."

"Hi." Rinoa replied simply.  Squall did the same.

"I was just wondering, I mean, would it so bother you very much if I asked you a question?" Mrs. Brenden asked smiling a pleasant, though very much fake smile.

"Ask away." Rinoa answered slightly curious as to what this woman wanted of her.

"Lillia, Karen and I were all chatting over a cup of tea yesterday …" The middle-aged woman started and Rinoa couldn't help thinking 'Wow, they have cups of teas in the after-noon … is it just me or do old women of ninety years old do that too?' "And we were all wondering … how old are you?" 'That was blunt … that was blunt, did she just ask that?  That was really freaking blunt.  Did you hear that?' She looked at Squall quizzically but then remembered that she was thinking this and not saying it.

"Uh …" She started off awkwardly, "Well …" 'I've got a profile upstairs.  You can even know my fucking blood type if you want …' She breathed in deeply, 'Cool it, Rin … cool it …' She reminded herself in time, "I'm twenty-four." 'There, blunt questions deserve blunt answers.'

Rinoa noticed that Squall was staring off at a nearby tree as if something interesting was poised there.  She didn't bother snapping him back to reality.  Mrs. Brenden gaped at her as if she was wearing a large sticker on her forehead stating something vulgar like 'Up Your's'.  "You … are twenty-four?  Only?  So then … so then how old are you?" She gestured to Squall.

"Twenty-five." He replied absent-mindedly, however, the innocent stare at the tree had been replaced by an angry glare.

"So … so …" Mrs. Brenden babbled like she had just encountered a loose hyena, "So … … _seventeen_?" She couldn't quite get the whole question out.

Rinoa was getting quite irritated with the personal questions from a woman she barely knew, 'Yes, Mrs. Brenden, I screwed Squall when I was seventeen.' But instead she replied quite politely, "Yes, we got married at seventeen.  If that's what you mean."

"Thank you, it is.  Quite.  Yes …well good-bye." She returned to her beloved rose bushes and Squall and Rinoa returned inside their domicile.

"I think you just crushed all her hopes." Squall said with a smile as he closed the front door behind him.

"Why do you say that?" Rinoa asked snappishly.

"Well, had you said 'I'm thirty-seven' she would have asked you why you look so well-preserved and if she could please use your secret for her own gain.  But instead you replied that you were twenty-four.  So … basically, you have no secret to give and now she's sad because she's getting all ugly."

Rinoa had to stifle a laugh, "That's mean, Squall." She plopped down on the couch and turned on the television, "I'm sure she's quite content now because she has a nice, juicy topic for her next tea party."

"Aw, don't tell me you wanted an invitation." Squall joked as he sat down next to her.

Rinoa decided to play along with the game, "Oh yeah, really I did.  I meant, they probably share Martha Stewart magazines and exchange little secrets like 'Henry just isn't the same as he used to be, it's so unsatisfying!'" She let Squall do the guessing on what she was talking about. "No thanks, I'd probably be sick in my cup."

Squall smirked, "Wow, I guess I wouldn't want you to go to those tea parties either.  Then who knows what the neighborhood would find out about me?"

"Oh, you have no faith in me.  I mean … the worse I'd tell them is how much of an immature idiot you are that can't keep his mouth shut for his own goddamn sake." She said, hinting at today's breakfast with her parents.  

He shoved her playfully, "I'm _not_ an immature idiot."

She shoved back, "Also a premature ejaculator."

"I AM WHAT?" He was more shocked than angry and he didn't have time to block the oncoming pillow.  In a matter of seconds, the two kids were wrestling on the floor.  "Take it back!" Squall had the upper hand.

"Never!"

He was on top of her, one knee on each side of her waist, staring down at her defiantly, "Take it back, you know it's not true." He smirked as he held her wrists back with his hands.

"Maybe it isn't … but there are worst things." She returned the smirk.

This caught him off guard, "Like … what?" His grip on her wrists loosened slightly.  The cause of his downfall. "Tell me …"

"Like being a total dumbass!" She smirked as she wrenched free of his grip on her wrists and then pushing him off next to her.  It was her turn to be on top so she climbed on top of him, "And that applies to you too …" 

"Maybe.  Wait …" He looked thoughtful, "Maybe I could grab a beer with Mrs. Brenden's husband and tell him all about how interested we are in having a couple exchange with him and his wife." That sent Rinoa into full-blown laughter.

"Oh right, you seem to be forgetting one thing.  If you do that, you're getting stuck in the mud too … with Gina Brenden might I add." She stuck out his tongue and him, "And you're such a jealous dimwit, you wouldn't let him come within ten feet of me with those intentions." She got off of him.

"Well …" He sputtered, "Maybe not … but that wasn't exactly my point." Squall scrambled up after her and plopped back down on the couch in a pouting sort of way.  Sensing his anger at the lost argument she sat down next to him and shuffled near him.

"Aw, don't be mad.  You always lose the fights you pick with me anyways." She stifled a laugh.

"Ha ha … real funny." He pouted slightly.  She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him in a gesture to win him over.  Unable to ignore the gnawing urge he kissed back and was quite disappointed when she broke off.

"I hope the kids don't come back with a crap load of toys." She said after a few minutes of silence, while watching an advertisement for some sort of action figure. "I'd wish she had forewarned me that she was taking them out today." She frowned, referring to her mother.

"Just wanted to spend time with them, I guess …"  Squall replied.  It struck a memory … 'Jason Banks wanted to spend some time with his daughter the night I killed him.  I killed him and his daughter, both.  What is wrong with me?' "Rinoa …"

"Hmm?"

'I can't keep it from her forever.' "I have something to tell you …"

Sammy: And how will she react?  Well, obviously she won't pat him on the back and say 'There, there Squall, it's ok.' So you better stick around for the next chapter coming out next week!  And … if you want it to come out then you'd better **review** … *Evil glare* Muwahah!  I'm evil! *Gets a tomato thrown at her* CURSE IT!


	12. Chapter Twelve

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII… it is the property of SQUARESOFT, now who the fuck doesn't know that already?  Huh?  Huh?

Chapter Twelve 

****

"What… what do you have to tell me?" She looked at him suspiciously, her beautiful brown eyes hinting at a certain curiosity.

'She's my wife… she deserves to know what kind of man I am… what I've done.  She doesn't know the half of it…' Squall cleared his throat and prepared himself for whatever he needed to face on his part.

***

"Grandma… why are ballpoint pens called ballpoint pens?" Alex asked from the backseat of his grandparents' car.  Caraway discreetly gave his wife a confused glance.

"Well… because the point of the pen is a little ball that allows the ink to flow out evenly," She explained lightly. "Why are you asking such a… strange question?"

Riana rolled her eyes and looked out of the window as her older brother answered cautiously, "Well… I was just curious.  Mommy said it was because a moron decided to call them that."  

Julia stifled a laugh and Alex went on, "Well… she wasn't feeling very patient that day so it might be why…"

"That might be one of the reasons she said that," Julia replied knowingly, "Anyways, what would you kids like?  We could go to a toy store… or out for a movie… anything you guys want."

"I'd like to go to the movies," Riana replied simply, still staring out of the backseat window. "But I wouldn't mind going to a toy store either."

"How about both?" Julia asked, much to her husband's dismay.  Though he loved his only daughter and grandchildren very much, entertaining children was not his forte.

***

"Listen, Rin… it's just… I couldn't do anything… because… it was my job." He was already defending himself even though he hadn't yet told her what he was guilty of.

Those words were enough to send shivers down her spine.  'His job…' She moved from him instinctively, losing the warmth of his body and becoming very cold herself. "What did you do?  No… who did you kill?"

She had connected the dots, like always, finding out what he was going to say before he even said it, "On the last mission… I killed… I killed… a little girl."  And all the guilt in the world flooded his spirits.  Killing adults was one thing, killing children was something else altogether.  Something that justified whether or not the assassin was human.

She let out a soft cry and moved even further away, her lips slightly parted in surprise and shock. "You… oh my God…" Her eyes welled up with tears, could she ever forgive the man she loved?

He reached over to touch her arm but she pulled away, "DON'T TOUCH ME!" Her voice rose at a peak of anger, her mind suddenly snapping back into reality, "Your hands… just don't touch me!"

"I'm sorry… Ackroyde-"

"FUCK ACKROYDE!  You're always listening to goddamn Ackroyde, always obeying him like you're a fucking lapdog!  Is he the one that makes up the rules?  Decides if it's ok or not to kill an innocent kid?  Damn it, Squall…"

"It was a mission!  There was no way out, I didn't know there was a little girl, Rin… please…" He was begging for forgiveness though he knew very well that he deserved none of it.  The great agent Squall Leonheart was afraid of something… of living a life without Rinoa Heartilly.

"Shut up, you goddamn bullshit artist!  Did Ackroyde wire you so that you weren't in control of your actions anymore?" She didn't wait for his response, "Then there is no goddamn reason!  You know, you were right… you aren't emotionally neglectful… you're emotionally detached!"

He couldn't help himself anymore. "It's not my fault!" It was only after that he realized the extent frivolous-ness of his words.

"Excuse me?" His wife looked at him almost as if it was a laughing matter. "What did you just say?"

"Forget it, Rin… I'm not saying you should forgive me-"

"And I'm not planning to!" She snapped back. "I can't stand your… your… _stupidity _anymore!  Anybody could make you sit, roll over and beg!  You're like a goddamn obedient dog!  Think for yourself!"

"Listen, just please… listen to me!"

"NO!  I'm so sick of hearing your dumb excuses for the blood on your hands… the blood that should be on Ackroyde's hands!  He just hand picks you because… because you'd do anything for him… you even stopped talking to your parents because he told you to!"

"I did not stop talking to my mother!" He found himself arguing back.

"When was the last time you called her?" She asked defiantly.

"Last month!" He lied.

"Bullshit!  I talked to her a week ago and she told me you hadn't called her in months!" She snapped back triumphantly.  "He told you to cut the connections with your mom and you did!  What'll happen when he tells you to cut the connections with your kids, I wonder!"

"That won't happen!" He yelled back.

"Won't it?" She spat disgustedly, "Our first night together was a mistake… do you realize how badly we fucked up?  But being burnt once wasn't enough, we screwed again and now we have two kids!  TWO!  What are you going to do?"  
"What are _we_ going to do," He corrected her.

"No… what are _you_ going to do," She said firmly, "Because what _I'm_ going to do is tell you one last thing… get out of the house!"

He stood there, slightly dumbfounded for a while until all anger snapped loose, "I can't believe I've wasted my life on you!  It was always about you!  Why the hell was it always about you?  What the hell was so special about you?"

"I don't know, and I don't care!  Get out!" She yelled back, trying to shield herself from the hurtful words in vain.  He obeyed her one last time, grabbing his coat and slamming the front door behind him.

'He's gone…' She thought miserably, and let the tears fall.

***

"I think something terrible just happened…" Riana's whispering voice met her brother's ear during the movie.  Julia was too busy watching the movie and James was too busy snoring to notice.

"You're crazy," He replied absent-mindedly, shoving more popcorn into his mouth, his eyes were glued to the screen.

"Alex, I'm serious… I've just had a bad feeling…"

"Shut up, I'm watching a movie…" He interrupted her boldly.  She pouted, crossed her arms and forced her eyes to fixate on the screen.

***

"I have a strange feeling that our dear friend Leonheart will be paying us a visit…" A voice cold as stone stated, eyeing some number of documents, "It's so sad that… a divorce is his only way out…" A sneer came at the end of Ackroyde's sentence.

"Yeah, real fucking sad… boo hoo…" The other voice was equally cold, this time belonging to a handsome blond man, with a scar running diagonally from his forehead to under his right eye.

"So who's going to kill _her_?" A female voice holding a high amount of disdain spoke up.  The owner of the voice was sitting leisurely in an armchair, her legs crossed.  Her flowing blond hair was styled so that only two strands on each side dropped to her shoulders.

"Quistis, Quistis, Quistis… patience is a virtue.  She need not be done away with so quickly." Ackroyde's voice became nauseatingly soothing. 

"Yeah, at least you know some day Leonheart'll be fucking your brains out.  I on the other hand…"

"That is enough!"  The boss' voice was sharp and annoyed, "We will not discuss your love affairs or your previous love affairs in this office.  We will not have your vile words scar my study.  Silence, both of you!"

"So what's the plan?" Quistis asked after some time of silence.

"Well, naturally, we're going to kill Rinoa Heartilly…"

Sabam: Ok, everyone cool it!  I know this was a pathetic chapter where everyone wants to go to a middle of a field and shoot my ass but I swear it'll get better.  I PROMISE IT WILL GET BETTER … or … better than it is now … which isn't tough to beat.  Uh … anyways!  **Please, please, please, please review!  I need your feedback, it's important to me!**


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Disclaimer: Sadly, I'm only in grade 10 so I am not yet of legal age to own anything as big as FF8.

Chapter Thirteen 

****

'And yet my sad, pathetic life still goes on …' She thought bitterly, trying to blink back tears that were stinging her eyes.  'You'd think that maybe Hyne would have pity on me and just kill me but no … I'm still very much alive.'

She took in a deep breath, making sure to control her emotions.  She knew there was no risk of being seen.  The kids had returned but it was now well past midnight and they had been put to bed.  But even by herself, alone in the safety of her bedroom she didn't trust herself to cry.  

'He's probably gone some where else now … on another mission maybe.' She thought sadly, fixating at a wall in the darkness of her room, ' … Maybe he's with Quistis …' And suddenly her veins bubbled with new found jealousy and rage, 'Damn it, if he is I'm going to … I don't know what I'm going to do … but it'll be painful …'

She began to breath deeply as if it would help calm her anxious spirit.  'Forget it … it's not even worth it.  It doesn't matter if I … like him … maybe a little … ok, maybe I love him.  We're always fighting; it's … better if we're apart.  For hell's sake, even my mom knew we had fought again when she brought back the kids.'

_"Whew, smells like fresh blood on the still raging battlefield …" She smirked at her daughter proudly.  "Is it what I think it is?"_

_"Mom, I appreciate what you've done but please get the hell out of my house." She had replied through gritted teeth._

_"Well, if I call and the phone lines are disconnected again then I'll know everything turned out fine."_

_"Get out …" Rinoa had hissed back._

_"But he's only been back for three days, that's a new record."_

_"I said get out!"_

'God, I'm such a bitch …' She thought, 'What the hell is wrong with me … maybe I need anger management therapy.' Her frown became deeper and she said aloud, "Anger management my ass …"

"Mommy?" The tiny voice made startled Rinoa so she completely fell off the bed and yelped in pain, "Are you ok?"  Riana reached for the switch and triumphantly, light spewed forth over the room.

Rinoa groaned in pain and got back up onto the bed, "Riana … what are you doing up?"

"I couldn't sleep." The young girl replied simply and came to sit next to her mother on the bed.  "Mommy, you haven't even changed into your pajamas … were you going to go to sleep with all your clothes on like that?"

"No … I was just thinking." Rinoa replied hastily.

The sweet, innocent girl cocked her head to one side, "About daddy?"

"Ye- NO!  Why the hell would I be thinking about him?" Rinoa snapped back, "I mean … why would I be thinking about him …?" She corrected herself, omitting the 'hell'.

"You fought with him … huh?" Riana asked watching Angelo enter the room cautiously.

"Yes." Rinoa replied and then added, "What's he doing in my room?" She eyed Angelo with an arched eyebrow.  'If he makes a mess I swear he'll end up like Squall …' She thought, looking at the dog suspiciously.

"He follows me around …" She replied, "Why did you guys fight?"

"You know, you guys should have gotten a parakeet or maybe goldfish because if that dog craps in my room I swear I'm going to-"

"You're trying to change the subject." Riana said abruptly, "You usually do that when I'm trying to talk to you about something." Rinoa was ignorant of the fact that the pouting look on her daughter's face was identical to her own.

"I'm sorry, honey … but I really don't want to talk about this." Her voice sounded exhausted and drained of power, even to herself.

"But mommy … will he come back soon?" The little girl picked up the puppy and petted him in her lap, "I like having daddy around the house …"

"I don't know.  Maybe he's gone on another mis-" She cut herself off abruptly, "Maybe he's gone to work again."

The little girl didn't seem to notice her mother's hesitance to discuss her father's work, "What does daddy do?"

"He … works for the government." Rinoa answered.  'It's not quite the truth but it's not quite a lie.' She reminded her guilty spirit.

Riana was silent for a moment, not really pondering about her father's work but rather about something else, "Mommy?" She asked quietly.

"Yes?"

"Do you love me?" Riana asked, scratching Angelo behind the ear, looking at her mother innocently. "And Alex?  And grand-ma and grand-pa?"

Rinoa was silent for a moment as if to answer these questions was a painful task to her, "Yeah, I love you a lot.  I love Alex too, very much.  And grand-pa and grand-ma too."

The little girl smiled and pet the dog once more, "How about daddy?  You love him a lot too?"

Rinoa froze slightly, not really knowing what to answer and then finally, "Yes … I love him very much and I think … I think that I always will no matter how much it's painful." She felt her eyes stinging again, 'Oh for fuck's sake, cut the water works!' She mentally cursed.

Riana's smile seemed to grow even bigger, "So you love everybody!  You love me and Alessandro and grand-ma and grand-pa.  But you love daddy most … right?"

"No … I … I love you all equally." Rinoa replied, 'That sounded lame … like something that just came out of Barney!  What am I doing?'

"But daddy's special.  Because you only have one of him.  Alex and I are both your kids and you've got two parents.  But you've only got one Squall Leonheart!" She said gleefully, "It's special … right?"

"Yeah …" She stroked her daughter's hair, "It might be special but that doesn't mean I love him more …"

"But … you forgive everyone, mommy.  You forgave me for making a mess out of my room, once … remember?  And you forgave Alex plenty of times for not doing his homework!  And you forgave grand-ma for bugging you so much and grand-pa for being so mean to daddy sometimes … so you're going to forgive daddy for whatever he did … right?"

Rinoa felt her eyes overflowing so she put one hand to her face to catch the tears and her daughter went on, "I mean … maybe daddy did something really bad and that's why you got mad at him but even if he did … he's special … in your heart … right?"

"Hyne, I love you!" Rinoa suddenly blurted out, hugging her daughter tightly, "I love you so much.  Alex too … _daddy too_ …" Tears streaming from her eyes.

"I love you too, mommy …" Riana replied hugging back, feeling tears in her little eyes as well, "Please don't cry …"

***

At the time of Rinoa's tears, Arckroyde sat leisurely in his office on the top floor of the agency head quarters.  Seifer had left for some coffee and was due to return in some few moments.  Quistis sat rigidly in her armchair, waiting for some sort of activity.

"You know, he is due to come soon … do not fret so." Ackroyde said, he was fed up of her stony faced look.  "We will each have what we want.  You will have Squall, Seifer will have revenge and I … I will have security."

Quistis jumped slightly at Ackroyde's words, "Sir?  What do you mean by security?  Rinoa poses a threat to you?"

"Squall and Rinoa together pose a threat to me.  Apart they are nothing." He snarled back, "Did I never tell you the great legacy of Squall and Rinoa?" His words were stung with sarcasm and scarred by hatred.  
"No sir …" Quistis answered politely.

"Oh, they were brilliant agents.  Together they were quite unstoppable.  At the young age of 18 they had already completed over three hundred twenty one successful missions.  All … successful … missions." He spat, "Too many missions … too many secrets engraved in their minds … and the one mission they were set out to fail … once again a success."

"What do you mean?  The one mission … they were set out to fail?" Quistis suddenly became quite curious.

"Never mind!  God, get me some tea!  Now!" He barked.

***

Squall downed another shot of liquor and slammed his glass back on the bar counter top.  "Another one." He ordered the bartender.  The place was empty except for a few men playing pool and eyeing a beautiful redhead at a table by her lonesome.  

"You planning on getting drunk?" The bartender asked Squall.

Still quite sober, he stared back, "Listen buddy, that's my business."

"A little lady let you down, son?" The bartender filled another shot glass, which Squall immediately drank.

"No." Squall snapped back, "Give me the strongest shit you have."

"You understand the Jim's Pub isn't responsible for any intoxication you may encounter and that Jim himself had nothing to do with this?"

"You're Jim right?" Squall asked suddenly, "Then give me my fucking drink!"

The redhead quietly made her way next to Squall and sat down next to him, "Hey there … handsome."

"Hi." Squall answered curtly and downed another shot glass that the bartender had given him.

"So what's your name?"

"My name's Fuck Off … and I bet yours is HIV." Squall answered annoyed, "Give me another, Jim …"

The redhead didn't seem so fazed, "My name is Ginger …"

"Run, run as fast as you can … watch out for her, she's a Gingerbread … _man_ …" He muttered under his breath, downing yet another drink. 

"Excuse me?" The woman raised her eyebrow.

"I didn't say anything." Squall replied snappishly and looked at the bartender, "Give me a beer.  Maybe vodka … and lots of tequila …whatever you have I'll drink it as long as it's alcohol."

Ginger began stroking the inside of his thigh as he made his order and Squall was still sober enough to realize, 'What the fuck!  No one has _ever_ touched me there except Rinoa … and she's my wife!  What the … get her off!'  And suddenly, words took shape, "What the hell do you think you're doing?" He got off the stool, making the men at the pool table whirl around to look.

"What's it look like I'm doing?" She asked licking her lips.

"Invading personal space!" He snapped back, grabbed his jacket and left the bar without his task being accomplished: getting absolutely wasted.

'Great, now what the fuck am I going to do?' He thought angrily behind the wheel of his car, 'She won't want me back home … great, one place left … the fucking agency.  Just to piss her off … to goddamn let her run around in freaking rage like a rat!  Make my own decisions?  Fine … I choose the agency!'

It took a minute to realize what had crossed his mind, 'I promised her I'd quit the agency!  I promised her … I'd be a good husband and father.  I've promised her so many goddamn things … fine … last trip to the agency … to quit this fucking job.'

He fumbled for his keys and headed towards the agency.

Sabam: Hello again.  I've started school once more so updates will take place on **Fridays or Saturdays**.  You shall still receive notifications when the chapters will be posted so fret not.  Please continue to **review**, your words mean so much to me.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

Disclaimer: Muwahahahaha!  News flash, I have recently conquered the world so I own EVERYTHING, including SQUARESOFT and FF8!!  *Gets overthrown by protesting civilians* Damn it!  Never mind, I own nothing!****

Chapter Fourteen 

Squall looked up at the large corporation edifice as he got out of his vehicle.  He locked his car and began trudging towards the building that his significant other dreaded more than anything at the present moment … 'This still doesn't mean she'll take me back …' He reminded himself.

He pushed through the rotating doorway and signaled to Stan, the watchman, "Hey… need to see the head honcho." He said in a fake happy voice that wasn't his own, "I've got some business to discuss."

"Sure thing…" Stan smirked and buzzed Agent Leonheart in.  "He ain't in a good mood so you best be careful." The watch guard shook his head and chuckled slightly.  Squall didn't smile back.

'Well, I've always been known for my excellent timing … I suppose I shouldn't expect any 'going-away' presents.  Unless it's a bullet in my cranium … oh God, why do you hate me so?' He thought bitterly as he entered the elevator.  

As he pressed the sixtieth floor button where Ackroyde's office was located, someone squeezed through the doors with an armful of folders.  'Oh shit… not her… not today…' He thought bitterly, 'This is definitely the last straw …'

"Hey Squall …" The overly sweet voice asked, "Why're you here so late at night?" The strawberry blonde smiled her perfect little smile and nudged up against him.

"No particular reason… I was just dropping by to discuss some things with Ackroyde." He replied, ignoring the deliberate contact that passed between his waist and her behind.

"Oh?  You want to go for some coffee after?" She asked innocently, still wearing that sickeningly sweet smile, "You look tired out, I'm sure you could use it."

'I know you want to bring me out to more than just coffee, Jennifer.' Squall thought detestably, 'And I'm not interested in the empty side of your double bed.  Innocent flirting … innocent … never will it go beyond that, got it?'  

Rinoa had never possessed great love for Jennifer, the secretary of Ackroyde's secretary.  It seemed that around here, everyone had secretaries … even secretaries.  Even when they weren't dating, Rinoa used to roll her eyes when Jennifer flirted with Squall.

"I think I'll pass on the coffee… Rin would be expecting me home …" Squall replied, noticing the grimace that replaced Jennifer's innocent look. 'Sorry, I'm a one-woman guy … if it makes you feel better I do feel bad disappointing so many women.' And then another thought came naturally, 'Rinoa's worth it …'

The good-looking woman exited the elevator on the thirtieth-something floor, smiling her good-byes to the handsome agent.  'Alone at last …' He thought as the elevator ride continued in sweet solitude, ' I wonder what the kids are thinking… I wonder what _she's_ thinking…'

He frowned slightly as a faint 'ding-ing' sound was heard and the lift doors slid opened to reveal a single, richly furnished hallway with only two double doors at the end of it… Ackroyde's office.  He need not even think of knocking; he had been here so many times so he just pushed his way through.

'Oh shit, no …' He spotted a blond sitting in a armchair, her eyes fixed on him almost as if she was still accusing him of something.  After their 'break-up', Quistis had cried… he had not.  She had wanted to date again… he had definitely not.

He tried not to look at her so much in fear that this may ensue a conversation he did not want to have, "Mr. Ackroyde, I've come to discuss certain things…" He began, finding the hunched figure behind his rosewood, polished desk.

"I'm sure you have, Leonheart… How's the family?" His boss greeted him and a snicker was heard from the shadows as a tall, light haired man appeared.  Seifer saluted Squall mockingly and dropped his weight in another armchair.

"Full house, isn't it?" Squall asked scathingly, "Mr. Ackroyde, this is private business so if you would be so kind as to dismiss these-"

"I'll tell you one thing, Leonheart… after Heartilly left, I needed some new hope for this agency and these two were the answers.  You remember the good old days when you and Rinoa were like my children?  Well, now that I've buried those times, I thought I might need them…"

Squall just stared back silently, 'So since one didn't feel like doing what you told her to, you decided to bury her and find a replacement?'  His fists clenched slightly, "Very sorry to hear that and I hate to bring you back to reality with a crash… but no one will be able to replace Rinoa Heartilly in terms of efficiency."

The room was suddenly invaded by a dark and cold silence, each individual fighting their own rage back not to lose their cool composure and lose the tyrannous battle.

Finally, Ackroyde spoke, "I know why you came here and I beg you to re-think your choice."

"There's nothing to re-think." Squall snapped suddenly.

"Squall, Squall…" Ackroyde began lightly, "I can read you so easily… I know why you're doing this and let me tell you it's not for the right reasons.  She may be your wife… but you are your own man and should make these decisions for yourself…"

"Shut up!" Squall raged suddenly.

But Ackroyde continued, "Don't you see… she's controlling you.  You do whatever she asks and never think for yourself.  You blindly follow her orders…"

"I blindly follow _your_ orders!" He corrected, "I'm so sick of listening to you!  You sit in that fucking office chair assigning murders all fucking day long and you make more money than fifty normal citizens make honestly!"

"There are certain jobs that people must do and they are paid accordingly!  We will not waste the little time I have left in this world to discuss social issues of this civilization because we do not create the rules!  We do not have the power to handle justice!" Ackroyde yelled back, "I can't believe you think such things… who told you this?  Rinoa?"

"Listen, I have a family!  I've got a wife and I've got kids… I just want to be able to take care of them.  I'll sign whatever papers you want me to sign and I'll even leave Deling forever!"

"Do you not see?  Maybe you are blinded by your emotions however; let me open your eyes.  Since when did you want to be a family man?  Never!  This wasn't meant to happen to you!  You've been burdened with a responsibility that should have never come to you!"

 "Aren't you aware of the rules of biology?" Squall asked, a hint of amusement visible in his tone of voice, "If Rinoa and I were old enough to do what we did… then we're old enough to assume responsibility for the consequences."

"If Rinoa and you were stupid enough to do what you did… chances are you're too stupid to assume responsibility for the consequences." Seifer couldn't help correctly smugly from his armchair.

"Did anyone tap you on the shoulder and asked you your opinion?" Squall asked his rival, taking immense pleasure noticing that Seifer's scar hadn't healed properly as opposed to his own which wasn't infected or still at risk of bleeding.  "No?  Then shut the hell up!"

"That will be enough!" Ackroyde silenced the heated banter with the snap of his voice, "Squall, I beg you reconsider your choices that you think you've already made.  Demission from a game is a player's lost."

"This isn't a game… this is my life!" Squall hissed in a low deadly voice that possessed the purest hatred and disgust, "I want out… and I want it now."

"You will not have it until I have my say!" Ackroyde snapped at him, "I have power over you and I will use that power if I must!  You shall reconsider this move on your part quietly in one of the agency's dormitories!  I advise you to think clearly… don't make mistakes."

"Fine!  You want to shut me in one of your little rooms for an hour or so then do so!  I'll sit quietly and come to you to tell you the same goddamn thing that I just did!  Then we'll really be wasting the little time you have left on this pathetic planet!" Squall spun on his heel and walked out of the doors.

"What a stubborn ass." Seifer scowled, not budging from his armchair.

"I'm … I'm going to get some coffee …" Quistis said hastily and made her way out of the office as well.

Ackroyde folded his hands on his polished desk and thought for a moment.  After a few minutes, he cleared his throat and motioned Seifer over, "Close the door." He instructed.  The pupil did as he was told.

"I've an important mission for you… something that will quench your thirst for revenge." Ackroyde smiled sinisterly as Seifer leaned in to listen.

***

The elevator door was already closed when Quistis got to them.  She immediately went for the stairs, descending each flight quickly until she got to the fortieth floor.  She got out onto that floor and saw Squall's figure exiting the elevator and entering a dormitory some way down the corridor.

She followed and entered herself, "Squall?" Her eyes searched the room to find his figure lying on the bed.

"Oh for fuck's sake, what the hell do you want?" He hissed, his eyes still closed.

Her trained body moved gracefully across the room to the bed where her hands reached out for his strong body, "Don't tell me you don't want this…" And she bent her face down to his to kiss him.

Sabam: Sorry, no Rinoa appearances in this chapter.  I have a feeling you'll all want to kill me once you see what I'm going to put her through.  But it's necessary … for character growth.  Anyways, yeah, sorta cliffy here but we all know who's side Squall's on right?  So no worries … right?  Wrong.  Heh heh … review and I'll love you forever!   


	15. Chapter Fifteen

Disclaimer: I do not yet own FF8 so could someone please get me SQUARESOFT for my birthday?  Please?

Chapter Fifteen 

****

Squall pushed her off roughly before their lips met and got off the bed quickly, backing into a wall, "I've got to show you something!" He cried out suddenly and held up his left hand, "If you look really carefully at the ring finger on this hand you'll notice a wedding band which means I'm married.  You don't have one so I can't be married to you … that's because I'm married to someone named Rinoa and that's not your name is it?" 

Quistis simply stared back spitefully and Squall resumed his 'intelligent' speech, "So if you aren't my wife could I please ask what the hell you were trying to kiss me for?"

"It's not about who _is_ your wife, it's about who _should be_ your wife.  And trust me, the answer isn't 'Rinoa Heartilly'." She snapped back at him, getting up from the bed herself and brushing herself off.

"What the hell would you know, Quistis?" He hissed back, "Tell me again how it's my problem that you just can't let it go!"

This seemed to throw her off guard, stunning her momentarily with painful realization, "She doesn't love you!" Were the first words that were spat from her mouth, "She never has and she never will!"

"You don't know anything, shut up!" Squall yelled.

"I know more than you ever will because I'm not blind to the truth.  She doesn't even know you like I do, Squall, because she doesn't care!  She doesn't love you, she doesn't love you!"

"Shut up!  You sound like a goddamn broken record!  Shut up!" He screamed and he suddenly found his right hand pressed against her neck firmly, threatening to snap it in two.

Quistis coughed and held his wrist, "You know you don't want to do this … because you still love me."

He shoved her body against the wall, his hand still on her neck, "Is that a dare?"

"I don't understand how you can do this!" She sputtered.

"I'm an assassin, sweetheart, this isn't the beginning of my extensive lists of sins." He replied but loosened his grip on her throat, "I though that since you think you know me so well … you'd know that too."

"I do know you well.  Better than you know yourself.  Better than she can ever think of knowing you." Quistis replied weakly, her air supply being cut off.  Once again the strong hand loosened its grip.

Squall didn't speak so she thought it was up to her to do the talking, "Remember when we used to date?  Rinoa and Seifer were an item too.  She loved Seifer … you know that?  More than she does you.  And I loved you more than anyone did and the funny thing is that I still do."

Squall swallowed hard and she continued on, "All four of us were wild in high school … we used to go out, under-aged, in bars and get drunk … we liked Dollet city best because no one cared if we were raging drunk, singing in the streets."

"We were stupid, what the hell do you want me to do about it?  It's over … just let what was be!" He snapped back, "Stop picking at the fucking scab and leave it alone!"

She ignored him and went on, "And then we used to go back to the hotel and … you made love to me.  God, it was good …" She smiled at the memories though the hand still hadn't lost its firmness against her neck.

"I knew you better than anyone … you used to tell me everything.  Remember … when you told me that you wanted to move to FH because you loved the sea?  I remember everything … I know you … she doesn't."

"I also like pickles on my sandwiches." He added sarcastically, "I don't care what was or what could have been, ok? "

"And then suddenly, everything changed." She continued narrating their past to him, "Suddenly Rinoa became more distant.  Seifer was pretty damn worried and I have to admit, we were friends then so I had my share of concern.  But you … you were the one who she seemed to find the most comfort in."

Squall grit his teeth and she continued, "I never really understood that and I don't particularly care anymore.  You were all over her, I'm sure you called her every fucking night to ask her how she was feeling and you just drifted so far from me.  Suddenly, you were the one who became cold and distant.  That must have been when she told you … that her parents were agents … murderers and that she was joining this fucking agency.  _You_ were her best friend then … and so you followed her in."

She had the accuracy of the facts down pact.  He couldn't deny that he had called Rinoa every night, making sure that she was ok.  He was already in love with her.  Then there was that fateful phone conversation that unveiled him the truth about the agency, about assassins.  So to protect her … to try and protect her, he had joined.

"I mean … the day you told Seifer and I … was quite a shock.  Even after Seifer and I joined … our relationship was over, wasn't it Squall?  Without words you had already told me that it was finished."

"And never to be mended, is that clear?" He had found his voice again.

Quistis swallowed back tears that were prickling the back of her eyes, "And then they assigned you two as partners.  Hundreds of missions completed to perfection, you guys were really agent models.  Then that fateful night happened …" She seemed to be trying to repress the thought, "Were you at least thinking of me when you were fucking her?"

"The thought of you did not cross my mind, not once, during my entire night with her.  Not once … not ever." He still held on tightly to her neck and with one swift move he threw her on the bed and left her alone in the room to cry.

He shut the door behind him, not really paying attention to the struggling sobs in the room he had just exited.  He once again traveled to the elevator and pressed the 'Up' button.  A 'ding' answered his wishes as he stepped into the nearest elevator and pressed for the sixtieth floor.

He arrived and entered the office once more, noticing that this time, Seifer wasn't present.  "So have you made the right decision?" Ackroyde's cold voice greeted him.

"Yes, indeed I have." Squall answered just as coolly, "This is the right decision." He brought up his right hand with only his middle finger up, "Fuck off."

Mr. Ackroyde didn't lose his composure, neither did he feel intimidated by the young man's impulsive rudeness, "I'm sorry you feel that way."  
"Well … that makes one of us." Squall answered and left the room as suddenly as he had come.

Ackroyde sat there, hands folded on the desk, motionless for minutes that composed to make half an hour until Quistis once again came into the room.  Her eyes were slightly red however her mentor paid no heed. 

"Would you like a mission?  It will … get your mind off things." Ackroyde proposed gently, "How would you like to be assigned Squall Leonheart's murder?"

Her veins bubbling with ecstasy at those words, her spirit eased with the thought that vengeance would be hers she replied, "It would be an honor."

***

Rinoa had just finished putting Riana to bed when she retreated to her own bedroom, weary and tired of the day's events, 'He'll be back tomorrow … he can't leave forever … his clothes are still here …' Were her only thoughts of comfort presently.

She began brushing her teeth slowly in the bathroom, washing her face, doing all the things she usually did before she went to bed.  She was just about to change into her pajamas when her son's voice rang clearly though the house, "MOMMY!  HELP!  There's a MONSTER!  MOMMY!"

To her, that was the last straw, grinding her teeth she stepped out of her room and headed towards her son's room.  His light was on and his face held a look of pure terror as he sat hugging his knees on his bed, "For the last time Alex, there are no such things as monsters in your goddamn closet!"

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, Rin …" And she felt the barrel of a cold gun being pressed against her temple as she passed the doorframe.

Sabam: I'm sure you all love me now, don't you?  Cliffhanger madness, muwahaha!  I'm an evil little child, there's nothing you can do about it!  *Readers start throwing random objects at her* HEY!  *Gets a shoe in the forehead* I said, HEY!  Review or else … or else … or else the next chapter doesn't get posted! =P 


	16. Chapter Sixteen

Disclaimer: I think everyone knows that I don't own Final Fantasy VIII so why do I even bother putting these things up?

Chapter Sixteen 

Time seemed to freeze as a bone chilling cold settled throughout her shaking body.  A voice she used to long for, a voice that defied her parents' authority, a voice she used to love but now feared, hated even.

"Baby, there are such things as monsters …" The tall, blond haired man holding a gun to her temple announced with a haughty, drawling voice.

"That's right … I forgot _you are one_."  Her voice shook as she avoided the eyes of the figure that was leaning against her son's bedroom wall, another gun equipped with a silencer aimed for Alessandro.  His finger was positioned on the trigger and she didn't even need to doubt that he would pull it if he had to.

"Mommy, what's going on?" Riana's sleepy voice came to the mother's ears.  Her daughter's tiny footsteps stopped as the unfortunate scene met her young eyes, "Wha-wha-mommy?"

"Go back to your room and get Angelo." Rinoa said calmly knowing Riana was right behind her, "Now."  The six year old began to sputter, "Go get him and leave the house, now!"

"Oh come on, you're expecting me to let them walk out of the front door?" Seifer sneered.  She turned right around to face him, the gun now pointing at her forehead.  Her eyes bore into his hatefully.

"Yeah, I kinda am." Rinoa replied, her mother instincts giving her a new resolve and bravery, "While I'm kicking your ass for breaking and entering."

"That's rich coming from a girl who has given birth twice and neglected her training over six or so years." Seifer smirked, the guns never altering their position.  Alex was looking over the scene with terrified eyes, unmoving and thousands of questions swarming his head.  Riana still had not moved.

"Riana, I said get the dog and get out." Rinoa snapped, her eyes still fixating on his, searching for some sort of weakness.  She found none.

"I am not allowing them to leave." Seifer breathed, smirking.

"They don't need _your_ permission!" Rinoa yelled, as swiftly as her training had once taught her she kicked the gun pointing towards her son from Seifer's hands.  Alex got off the bed immediately and went to join his sister beyond the doorway.

"Oh ok, we can play it that way then." Seifer stated, the smirk unable to be wiped from his hateful face, "I didn't want to rough it up but it seems you've always liked it that way." The other gun wound up pointing directly at her face.  A silenced bullet was projected through the barrel …

And hit the wall, a few inches from her head.  Her ears rang with the noise the bullet had made when it contacted the wall.  Seifer put the gun back in one of his jacket pockets, "Let's see what you can still do …"

His fist crashed into the wall as she dodged his attack, "Stop making holes in my house!" She yelled at him angrily, attempting at a roundhouse kick.  He grabbed her leg right before it hit his abdomen and just stood there, letting her hop around on one available foot, "Goddamn!" 

 Taking a risk she jumped up, aiming her only foot to his head.  It crashed into it, sending both fighters to hit the floor.  Rinoa pushed herself up only to realize that Seifer was already looming above her, rubbing his neck, "Not bad …"

The two children stood, staring in wonder.  What was this man doing in their house trying to kill them?  Since when does mom know karate?

"Trust me, that was just a warm up." Rinoa said haughtily, ignoring the pain of the leg that collided with Seifer's head.

"Well I certainly hope so." Seifer got into fighting position once again.

"'Well I certainly hope so.'" Rinoa mimicked contemptuously, "You sound so much like Ackroyde."

"Yeah, and he's stronger than you." Seifer hissed as he unleashed an onslaught of punches to Rinoa's head.  She dodged them, sometimes the leather of his glove skinning her cheeks threateningly causing little scratches to appear.

"Come on, stop pretending and hit me!" She yelled out and her wishes were granted.  His fist landed unexpectedly in stomach, colliding with some ribs, enough to knock the air out of her.  
She gasped and clutched her stomach in surprise.  Nothing was broken, she was quite sure, however she also knew that he was holding himself back.  'If he had been fighting seriously I would probably be disfigured right now … and that means I'm in trouble.' She analyzed the situation, "Come on, Ackroyde's lapdog had to have more backbone than this …"

"Oh he does." Seifer answered casually, "I just want to make sure what you're getting yourself into.  Are you?  I mean … we don't have to go through this, Rin …" His voice began to get softer, almost as if he were trying to seduce her … and he was, "We could run away from all this … Squall won't … he doesn't have the guts.  But it could just be you and me, like the old times."

Rinoa gave off a short laugh and Seifer continued, "Those times were great … and to think we could relive them.  We're in our mid-twenties … life is still a party.  Come on …" He extended his hand towards her, "Just off your kids and let's go …"

She looked at her two kids in the doorway as if she was almost considering Seifer's offer, 'What a fucking idiot, as if I'd really mull over that offer.' She thought, sickened by his cruelty.  She shrugged slightly, "Nah, I don't think so.  I find they're cuter than you.  I mean … Squall's genes, hello?  He was always the better looking one."

Seifer laughed forcefully, his jaw clenched, "So … you're ready to die?"

Choosing not to answer that question, she just readied herself in a fighting stance.  She struck first with punches he easily blocked with the palm of his hands.  Next came well-coordinated kicks that he stopped with his forearms or hands.

Finally she landed one kick on his waist and he sidestepped a bit until regaining control, "They say women can handle more pain than men." Seifer stated simply, "Let's test that theory." And he smashed his elbow in her clavicle.  She winced, refusing the howl that was caught in her throat.

"Mommy!" Riana cried out, Alex was too dumbfounded to do much.

'Don't tell me they've inherited Squall's intelligence!' She thought, engaging in panic mode, "I SAID GET OUT OF THE HOUSE!" She yelled back without even looking at them, rubbing her sore bone that she considered was busted.

The kids didn't move but she didn't have much time to think it over as Seifer's foot crashed in the wall, centimeters from her head.  "WILL YOU STOP DESTROYING EVERYTHING?" She was now royally pissed.

He smirked and threw his fist in the wall, making another hole.  She threw missed punches at him, kicks that were caught by his hands with quickened reflexes until finally he grew tired of this mere exercise.

"Ok, you know … before you used to be great.  Then you started going out with Leonheart and your great degraded to good.  And now you just plain suck.  I'm very disappointed in you …" His fist smashed into her stomach once more, the impact slammed her in the nearby wall.

The children watched on in horror as their mother covered her mouth, bent over slightly and coughed.  Seifer seemed to smile, standing back a little.  

Rinoa tasted blood coming up as she coughed.  She felt it in her saliva … and when she pulled her hands from her mouth she saw it.  "Son of a bitch …" She whispered painfully.

"Nifty little trick isn't it?" Seifer smirked slightly and without further warning his kneecap smashed in her abdomen and she couldn't help yelling in pain.  On her hands and knees she coughed up more blood that stained the carpet, "MOMMY!" Alex cried out this time.

Seifer slammed his foot in her stomach once more, causing her body to jolt upwards and her back collided with the wall and left her in a sitting position, wincing in immense pain that she hadn't felt since her last training session years ago, "You know, it fucking rips my heart out to see you standing there like a goddamn second class whore …" Seifer looked down on her.

Blood dripped slightly from her bottom lip as Riana began to cry, the kids still not moving from their position outside the room, "What the fuck did I tell you …" Rinoa's raspy voice was barely audible but then became slightly louder, "What the fuck … are you stupid kids still doing here?" Finally she rose to a scream, "GET THE HELL OUT WITH THE DOG NOW AND GO TO YOUR GRANDPARENT'S HOUSE RIGHT DOWN THE GODDAMN STREET!" She wasn't looking at them, only at the floor.

Hearing his mother swear for one of the first times in his life, the message was quite clear and the impact of the words took effect as Alessandro grabbed his sister's arm and went to look for the dog.  

"Fine … I'll get them later.  My business is with you now." Seifer shrugged.

Rinoa heard the bark of Angelo and the slam of the front door, 'Good … they're safe.' And she was left to face her opponent.  He was smirking as though he had just gotten a five thousand dollar raise, "By the way, just thought you should know …  agents are raiding your parent's house as well … so they aren't any safer."

'Fuck …' Rinoa thought helplessly, 'I have to finish this up quick … and by the looks of it, that isn't really possible now is it?  Squall … where are you?' The metallic taste of blood still hadn't left her mouth, "You're a bastard, I hope you know that."

"Well, I do now.  Thank you for teaching me one last thing before you die." Seifer said with mock courtesy, "Its only custom that you teach me things.  You taught me so much … how to kiss, how to fuck … you were the goddamn leader in our relationship.  I guess it's only fate's way of including irony in your death."

'Yeah, I was a fucking little slut when I was younger … is this the bill I have to pay?' She thought miserably with pain accompanying her regret. "I'm sorry I didn't love you anymore." Rinoa's tone dripped with sarcasm, "I'm sorry you began to be such a goddamn pain in my ass.  I'm sorry I left you because I wasn't happy.  I'm sorry I-"

"SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH!" Seifer barked at her, unsheathing his gunblade that was secured to his belt.  "You aren't sorry about anything."

She held out her hands in front on his, "Yes master, I truly am sorry for not basing my entire life on a stupid high school boyfriend." She drawled sarcastically.

"Those hands …" He began disgustedly, looking at her hands that were positioned as if she was offering him something, "Those hold him at night …"

"Oh trust me … they don't only _hold_ him." Rinoa hissed at Seifer.  Unexpectedly Seifer swung his blade on them, piecing her palms horizontally.  She yelled out in pain at the unforeseen move as blood flowed out of the clean cuts.  The wound was fairly deep and the slice went right across the palms.

"And the body that bore his children." Seifer continued, despite Rinoa's howls of pain.  He swung the gunblade once more on her abdomen, slicing through the fabric of her shirt, making another horizontal, clean cut.  More blood.  

She felt as if she didn't even have any more strength to yell out so she just gasped slightly, grasping her bleeding abdomen with her already wounded hands.

She felt something sharp on her chest and she realized it was the tip of Hyperion.  "And … the heart that loved him."

Sabam: *Screeches in a really high pitched voice and waves her arms around fanatically* CLIFF HANGER!  CLIFF HANGER!  Muwahahahahahaha! *Laughs evilly until people start chucking random things at her* Uh oh … shit-muncher! *Ducks for cover* Review and I might update real quick?  Please?  _Please, please, please review!  _On a happier note … HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOOOOO … MEEEEEE!  I ask for nothing … only a review!  Love y'all!


	17. Chapter Seventeen

Disclaimer: I do not own FF8 because someone beat me to it.

Chapter Seventeen 

She felt something sharp on her chest and she realized it was the tip of Hyperion. "And … the heart that loved him."

"You know, you can't kill a heart … neither can you kill feelings. They don't die." She answered with the little courage she had left to fight.

"But you can use those feelings to kill someone else. Imagine Squall … coming back home … to your corpse." Seifer whispered sadistically, finding pleasure in her worn out face. She didn't answer. "Love is a weakness that people find comfort in … odd isn't it?"

'I never even told him that I loved him …' She thought miserably as Seifer continued his little lecture, "That's why you and him are weak people and you know that. So the only way you two survive is by being comforted by that weakness, indulging in it … until finally it consumes you … like the plague. I bet when you go places, people point at you and go, 'Look at that beautiful family … I bet you they're perfect and happy.'"

"And isn't that why you hate us, Seifer?" Rinoa asked daringly, still clutching her open wounds, blood painting her hands, "Because he's the one who sleeps next to me … the father of my kids? Maybe love is a weakness … but becoming numb to it is a greater flaw."

"If that's what you think, beautiful." Seifer answered simply, "But take in consideration who has the upper hand here."

'Squall said I was strong … am I? If I were I don't think I'd be the one on the floor …' She thought and suddenly something about the night she had overheard that conversation in Alessandro's room struck her as important_._

_"Here, about that monster … you know that baseball bat I gave you for your birthday? Well, let's put it under the bed … that way you'll always feel safe."_

She looked up at Seifer, examining, analyzing every aspect of the situation. 'I can't just grab it, get up and swing at his head … then he's got too much time to react. I've got to stun him with pain momentarily. Best thing would be the kneecap. Now how am I supposed to reach for it without being noticed?'

She didn't have much time to think it over as the gunblade resumed its position near her heart, "I'm really sorry I have to do this, Rin."

"Don't be … I'm not remorseful about doing _this_." Without warning she smashed her fist with as much strength she had left on his kneecap, he howled in pain and dropped his gunblade as she heard something crack. Then without further ado she reached under the bed and felt the cold aluminum of the bat. She retrieved it and hit his other kneecap just for double pain. She got up quickly, ignoring the immense pain overtaking her and swung the bat at the back of his neck. He went rigid and fell to the floor unconscious.

Rinoa dropped the bat, stained with her own blood and put her foot on his neck, contemplating to end his life now. "See the pity? I am stronger than you, I'm better than you." She hoped that somewhere in his comatose state, he would hear those words. She took away her foot without killing the monster.

Without even looking back, she ran out of the domicile and headed straight towards her parents' house. 

***

Her hands were stinging and sticky from her own blood, clutching her bleeding abdomen in sharp, agonizing pain. She entered through the side door of the Caraway domicile. The garage was dark and smelled of gasoline from the two cars. 

Rinoa leaned against the door opposite of the one she had entered in, the one linking the garage to the rest of the house. She listened intently … Seifer had been proud to tell her that her parents' house was under the agency's attack as well. It had worked out to her advantage that he was a loud, smart mouth.

"Just leave the kids alone!" She heard her father's roar, "Keep that gun pointing at me and I won't mind …"

"Don't move, old man! Stay still!" A stranger's voice yelled out, she sensed an edge of panic to that voice. 'Stupid junior officers … the poor bastard's probably shitting his pants …' She thought, though without much pity.

"I'm not the one moving, your gun is just shaking …" Her father tried calmly.

"SHUT UP AND STAND STILL!" The same voice roared with anger, but the uneasiness was still there, "Zell, what the hell are you waiting for … tie 'em up or something."

She heard Riana's anguished cry and just standing there listening wasn't in her plan of action. From what she could tell, the voices were coming from the main hall … good, she just had to open this door and tackle one and if her father was smart enough … he'd take the other one.

"Three … two … one …" She whispered to herself and opened the door tackling the nearest one to her, slamming him to the floor, quickly feeling his waist for a gun and emerging victorious. She rolled and got back up aiming the gun for anything dangerous.

A scream erupted from the other officer's throat as he dropped his gun and fumbled to scoop it from the floor but Caraway had already bent down to pick it up, "Now there's an easy way to do this. Just run out of this house right now … and never come back again."

He took up on the option pretty quickly, leaving his blondish partner to deal with a very angry woman, "I'm going to have so much fun-"

"I'm on your side!" The one named Zell cried out, "Your side, your side, your side!"

"PULLING THIS GODDAMN TRIGGER!"

"Rinoa, put the gun down!" Caraway barked at his daughter, "He is telling the truth …"

She put the gun on safety and chucked it at Zell aiming for his head, "I need paper towels …" She mumbled almost incoherently as if she was feeling the burning pain her wounds were causing her.

"Lots of them …" Julia breathed a sigh of relief, at least her daughter had come back, "God … what happened?"

"Mommy!" Alessandro cried out of happiness and Riana's eyes seemed a little less full of tears. "Are you ok?"

"Not quite …" Rinoa winced, "I think I'm going to go get cleaned up now …" She directed herself towards the kitchen.

Caraway helped Zell up, who was whining about the cut that the gun had left on his forehead as it had made contact when Rinoa threw it at him. "Is she crazy or something?"

"No, no … just pissed off …" Caraway explained lightly.

***

Julia had finished bandaging Rinoa's bleeding abdomen and hands with the bandages they kept handy in their first aid kit. "This is too fucking tight …" She had hissed to her mother right before being whisked from the room in which they had preformed the minor 'surgical treatment'.

"If it's not tight enough, the blood is never going to clot and you will die from blood loss." Julia had replied back.

"I choose blood loss over suffocation …"

"Stop being a baby … we don't have time to waste, let's go …"

They had then gone down to Caraway's study to meet with Zell, where explanations would be furnished. "Hey, I'm Zell …" He held out his hand to the 5'4" raven-haired beauty. She stared at it disdainfully.

"Pleasure …" She mumbled uninterestedly.

"I'm not getting that feeling …" Zell stooped down so their eyes met, his innocent … naïve eyes against her fiery, raging ones.

"Sit you're a-" She stopped in mid-sentence, knowing only too well that her swearing license had well expired tonight, especially in front of her kids.

"Sit my what?" Zell raised an eyebrow. In response she grabbed him by the shoulder and pushed him down in a chair. "Woah … easy …"

"Get to the point!" She snapped, not at all feeling generous about the way her slashing moods and words were affecting the people around her.

"Right … well … I'm Zell …"

"Is that the only thing you know?" Her peak of anger was being justly met.

"Uh … I've been a traitor to the agency ever since your father hired me." He blubbered out quickly in case her temper would flare out like hell, "And they've been trying to kill you guys for quite a while now … and Ackroyde hates you … and Quistis thinks you're a whore and … and yeah …"

"Well that's just great! I've always wanted to know what those two sonofabitches thought of me!" Rinoa spat out sarcastically, completely forgetting anyone else present in the room.

"Really?" Zell asked meekly, getting the impression he had pleased someone.

"NO!" She snapped back, turning red in the face from rage, "Why do you always hire stupid fruitcakes?" She turned to her father who was a little unsettled by his daughter's snappish behavior.

"Stop insulting my employees!" Was his only argument.

"TELL THEM TO STOP INSULTING MY SPECIES!" She yelled back at him, shouting at the top of her lungs.

"Shut the hell up!" Caraway retorted, rubbing his temples in agony, "Grow up, Rinoa!"

"Shut up, grow up!" Rinoa mimicked, "Why don't you kiss my …"

"STOP, BOTH OF YOU!" Julia intervened, "This is really no time to be arguing over stupid things like this … Rinoa, do you have any idea where your husband is?"

Rinoa was silent however Caraway spoke up, "Never call him that again!"

"Well what?" Rinoa asked, "He is my husband … we got married … I'm _married_ … as in I'm an _adult_ … as in … I can tell you to screw off whenever the hell I feel like it!"

"And why's that? I don't think you should be granted those rights just because you were stupid!" Caraway retorted maliciously, knowing only too well that he had laid an emotional blow on a still open wound.

The eyes that retained a rebellious spark was extinguished as she closed her eyes, the words drenching her pride … 'Well … you knew he was going to lay that one on you one day …' She reminded herself, 'And there is nothing you can do to prove him wrong … because he's right.'

The room went dead silent, even the children who didn't comprehend the slightest conflict had remained silent because though they didn't know, they were pretty sure that their grand-father had, with his mighty authority and strong voice, brought up something almost dangerous to speak of.

"You know … I've got a feeling you guys still have lots of family issues … but I'd like to address Rinoa especially …" Zell was the first to speak up, "If your kiddos over there hold their father dear to their hearts … he's due to be executed in an hour on the roof of the Presidential Palace …"

Sabam: Well, it's a ritual … how the heck am I supposed to leave off without a cliffhanger? Heh heh heh … ok, I promise that the next chapter won't leave off with a cliffy however this story is going to have thirty chapters so don't go thinking that the next chapter is the last. **Please be nice and review!**


	18. Chapter Eighteen

Disclaimer: I do not own FF8, all my readers should know this by now …

Chapter Eighteen 

****

For Rinoa Heartilly it seemed as if a large crevice had opened, swallowing her … feeding her to the underworld.  However the numbing cold spreading throughout her body told her otherwise.  The pain that her wounds were causing her seemed to double.

"That's not possible …" She whispered more to herself than to anyone else in the lushly decorated study.

"Sure it is … he told Ackroyde to fuck off …" Zell explained, slightly curious as to what was going on in Rinoa's head.

'He said he was going to quit … for me … what … have I done …' The greatest murder of all … the accidental one, the one for her own gain … to calm her raging soul, 'He was suffering too … I wasn't the only one … why didn't I see that?' Selfishness … 'I should have … oh my God …'

Caraway had been staring intently at his daughter for the past few moments, unmoving.  Wondering if she would just let it be and accept things the way they were.  Part of him wanted her t,o however the other part just wanted to rush out of the room … to save Squall Leonheart.

Rinoa didn't speak; she walked up to her father's polished rosewood desk and grabbed the pistol that had been lying there.  She checked for sufficient ammunition … it was full.  She disengaged the safety and turned it over in her hands, "Ok … I have to go."

"You're making another mistake." Caraway said in spite of himself.

"Yeah, you would know what you're talking about …" Rinoa shot back at him, avoiding his eyes at any cost, "Ok, be good … I'll be back.  I will." She said firmly, looking at each of her kids in the eye.

She exited the study promptly before anyone really had the chance to convince her other wise.  Riana and Julia both exited the room, it was the smaller girl who caught up with her mother first.  "Mommy …"

"Riana … be good … stay here.  I just have to take care of something real quick … you were right.  Daddy is special to me, just like you and Alex are … so I should forgive him because I haven't done any better." Rinoa explained as quickly as she could.

"He doesn't need forgiveness, Rinoa … he needs to know you're safe." A wiser voice prompted from behind Riana.

"Mom … the man of my life is going to be assassinated in 57 minutes and 32 seconds.  I can't give him anything right now.  I can only return what he's given me for the last seven years."

"What's that?" Julia closed her eyes, visions of her only child … her daughter dying.

"Loyalty …"

"It's either you both come back alive … or you both die.  Do you realize this?" Julia asked, choking back tears.

"Then I guess we'll both have to come back." She smiled, weakly but truthfully, and then she was gone.

***

She knew the town of Deling only too well.  The streets engraved in her mind, a virtual map forming in her head.  The Presidential Palace wasn't that far from this neighborhood.  Though thirty minutes had ticked off the clock when she even began to approach the impressive structure. 'On the roof …' She remembered from Zell's words.

"Don't tell me its devotion that brought you here." A snarling voice from behind her emerged and she was roughly pushed to the floor.  

"Quistis, funny running into you again." Rinoa spat, getting up and brushing herself off, trying not to make the pain too visible. "As a matter a fact, I specifically remember praying not to see your goddamn face again."

"Shut up, Heartilly." Quistis hissed, "You need to be taught your place in this world.  There is no pedestal holding you up above me and there never was.  You are no better than me …"

"From what I just heard you say … you aren't better than me either.  Am I right?" Rinoa asked and in response got a fist aimed for her cheek.  She stepped backwards to avoid it, "Listen, some other time … I have to do something."

"I don't give a care about your poor, little, miserable life that should be mercilessly ended." Quistis got into fighting stance.

"They're going to kill Squall!" Rinoa screamed, going on the defensive.  
"I know … I'm the one who ordered his murder … I hired those murderers up there." Quistis hissed back, beginning an onslaught of punches.  Rinoa stepped back, avoiding the wave of hits with slight difficulty.

"Why the hell are you doing this?" Rinoa asked, wondering if she would really have to fight again.  

"Give it a rest, Rinoa … I know you don't really give a shit anyways.  Fight!" She yelled out, coordinating punches and kicks into a well-planned offensive.

Rinoa was pushed nearer and nearer to the train station that wasn't far off.  Eventually, Quistis' punches met it's destination and Rinoa nearly crippled in pain as her abdominal wound screamed it's presence. "You seem to have a little weakness." Quistis remarked mockingly.

The station was deserted which was quite rare for Deling City.  "I always found that trains were a grand way to die …" A sneering voice rang in her ears.  

"Quistis … please … could you just …"

"Oh don't worry … you won't feel a thing." The blond sneered.

"That … isn't what I meant …" Rinoa said in a hoarse voice, looking around for anyone that would put a stop to this, "Save … Squall …"

"Oh right … fifteen minutes left and I still have to dispose of you … don't think I'll have enough time … sorry." Quistis explained sardonically.

"STOP THIS!" Rinoa screamed and with some of her remaining strength, slammed her hand into Quistis' shin, nearly tripping her over.

"Fuck, what are you playing at?" Quistis shrieked, "This isn't a little girl fight …" She watched the raven haired girl stand up, shaking on her two legs, "This is real, Heartilly … no more games."

"This was never a goddamn game." Rinoa answered, "I don't have any time to waste, Quistis!  You can do whatever you fricken' want with me just please … I need to get to Squall." 

"You can go to Hell." Quistis replied and stepped into fighting stance once more.

"I'm already there." This time, Rinoa was first to strike, aiming kicks to wherever she thought Quistis wouldn't be able to block.  A few hit but they weren't strong enough to faze her for long.  

"You've gotten too weak …" Quistis remarked, blocking with the palm of her hands a flung fist, "You lack coordination … speed … power … where have you been all these years?" She smirked.

"Raising Squall's children." Rinoa hissed back maliciously, "You want to know how we ended up with those?" 

Quistis yelled out random obscenities and missed Rinoa's leg that hit her at the back of the knees.  She lost her balance as her right knee was forcefully bent. 

"What the heck?!" Someone cried out behind them, it was undoubtedly a watch guard who had heard the commotion and had come to investigate.  The man met his fate as Quistis grabbed a gun from her belt and shot the man twice with pro aim.  He fell to the floor as she got up and brushed herself off.

Rinoa only stared, "You … didn't have to do that." She stared back at Quistis, her eyes cold and hard, "You don't have to kill people off like flies!  For Hyne's sake!"

"What's the matter, Rin?  Lost your uncompassionate edge?" Quistis asked, suddenly she heard a sound … far down the tunnel, "Why look at the timing … I hear a train coming.  It must be fate."

Rinoa instinctively lowered a hand to her abdomen where Quistis was launching kicks out.  The inside of her palm burned as the fresh wound was cut open more.  'I can't stand much more of this …' Rinoa grabbed Quistis leg and tilted it upwards like Seifer had done to her. 

Quistis hopped on one foot like Rinoa had done in her previous fight and unfortunately, had the same idea as her.  Rinoa foresaw the familiar move and let go of Quistis' leg, backing up to avoid the spare foot that was aimed at her head.  

The taller blond spun around in the air and slammed back down to the floor alone, "God damn it all!" She cried out in anguish and held her left arm that she had fallen on.  It was broken.

"Is it painful?" Rinoa asked suddenly, a flare lighting up her eyes.  The look in Quistis' eyes told it all, "Good." She kicked Quistis swiftly onto the train tracks that were only a meter away, "Do you still hear the train, Quistis?"

The blond got up immediately and stepped off the tracks but Rinoa was ready this time with a fist deep into her ribcage.  She felt her false ribs cracking under the pressure and Rinoa suddenly felt the adrenaline rush of the old agency days … the enticing feeling of murder … of inflicting pain.  It was coming back to her.  Ruthless …

The train passed and Quistis felt the compartments wooshed past her.  She was knocked to the floor by Rinoa's elbow to her neck.  "Do you like the feeling of dying?" She asked, holding Quistis' head in her hands, near the tracks where the train was still passing though slowing down.

"Don't worry … it doesn't last long … it's about to end … now." Rinoa pushed Quistis' head on the tracks.  Steel on steel detached her head from the rest of her body.  

Rinoa felt the bile rising up through her esophagus but swallowed it back.  'I have no time to be sick …' She told her self and she ran out of the train station as fast as she could and back to the Presidential Palace.

She pushed through the unlocked double doors … left by the murderers that had come in before her.  'No time for the elevator …' She glanced towards it but took a detour to the stairs.  She ran up as fast as she could, her own race against time.

Several times she tripped and fell down a couple of stairs, inducing pain on each of her limbs but she finally arrived at the door labeled 'Roof Top'.  She burst through the door, her gun ready to fire, and saw three men who were kicking Squall around.

She aimed and fired at the first man without really caring whom she had to kill anymore.  Squall's reflexes weren't as rusty as Rinoa's however and he took upon the intrusion quickly, grabbing the second man by the ankle and twisting it.  

The third man was quickly upon Rinoa, knocking the gun from her hands before she had time to take good aim again.  She dodged with ease the punches he threw at her, immediately noting that he didn't practice a particular martial arts.

She took this as an advantage and began ducking instead of moving away.  When she ducked she has access to areas that he wasn't protecting.  She slammed her fist in his abdomen, momentarily knocking the wind out of him.

She then did a low roundhouse kick to the lower part of his legs making him trip off the roof.  Squall was slightly struggling with his opponent.  Rinoa delivered a swift kick to the adversary's waist sending him flying off and tripping off the side of the roof.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE?" Her husband yelled out at her, "You are such a goddamn idiot!  What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"Is this the thank you I get for saving your goddamn ass?" She shouted back just as loud, "If it weren't for me you would be dead right now!"

"I was handling the situation just fucking fine!" He screamed at her, his face was bloody and bruised and she didn't even doubt that his stomach and back were looking the same way.

"Oh yes … you seemed to be doing extremely well!" She spat sarcastically.

"Shut up!  There was only one of me … against the three of them!" He defended his case, "Point still comes to point, I could have handled them."

"You know, next time I think I'll just let you die!" She screamed at him.

"Fine with me!"

They stayed silent for a minute, staring at each other in the eyes in anger at both their conflicting characters.  Suddenly Squall broke out a sigh and muttered, "Fuck, I'm so glad you're ok …" And he pushed her against a wall, kissing her softly on the lips.

"I was so scared …" She said in between kisses.  She opened her mouth making the kiss more intimate, placing her hands at the back of his neck.

He felt the bandages on her hands but didn't think too much of it, and he resumed kissing her.  His hands slowly beginning to explore her waist he felt more bandages and so he took his thumb and applied pressure to her abdomen.

She moaned against his mouth but it wasn't one of pleasure.  He immediately broke off and stopped pressing on her wound, "What happened?"

"Nothing happened, it's not important … come on … let's go back to my parents' …" Rinoa started but Squall had grabbed one of her wrists to examine it in detail. "Squall … let go …"

"Who the fuck did these?" He asked roughly, pressing down on them.

"Seifer!  Squall!  Stop … it hurts like a bitch!" Rinoa gasped at the sharp pain he was causing her.

"Sorry …" He said softly.  The light of the moon, shining on her tired, but beautiful face, "For everything …"

"It's not all your fault." She whispered, "I think we're both … really … defective people." She smiled slightly, "Really defective."

"I guess we do have our issues, huh?  Between me acting like a two year old all the time and you acting like you're an eighty-three year old midwife with her deaf husband." He cracked one of his innocent grins.

"Shut up, that's not funny!" Yet she could help smiling either.

"Then why're you smiling?" He asked.

"Because … I love you."

"You what?" His voice detained much surprise though it seemed extremely pleased, "What did you say?"

"Don't make me repeat, Leonheart." She smiled slightly. 

"I love you too …" He replied kissing her again.

Life is road and I want to keep going 

_Love is a river I want to keep flowing_

I'll be there when the world stops turning … 

_I'll be there when the storm is through …_

Sabam: Aww … see, I promised you guys that I wouldn't leave a cliffhanger here.  Well, I don't own that last bit of poetry.  It's a song from the Disney Movie 'Anastasia' so I don't own that either … (Last minute disclaimer).  Anyways, **please, please review** and I'll see you guys next week for chapter … nineteen!  We're certainly moving along fast here aren't we?  By the way … Rinoa and Squall's problems are FAR FROM OVER!


	19. Chapter Nineteen

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII so please do not sue my ass because it's not like I have money anyways.  

Chapter Nineteen 

****

They had quietly and stealthily left the Presidential Palace leaving the bodies to be discovered by the very reason of their problems … the government, Ackroyde, whoever came along first it didn't matter.

"Let's head straight back to my father's …" Rinoa had proposed but Squall had shook his head in disagreement.

"We need to head back home first." Squall stated, "If _he's_ still there, all the better … it'll give me a chance to kill him." Ignoring Rinoa's pleas to head back to the Caraway mansion, the couple ended up walking down the familiar street.

They entered their residence with caution, pistols aimed for anything that moved.  Squall hesitantly turned on the light, slightly fearing what he might see.  Yet he had no reason to fear since everything was in place, nothing had been broken or ripped.

"Maybe we should pack some clothing?" Squall whispered as though not to wake the imaginary ghost that haunted the house.

"Yeah … ok …" Rinoa replied shakily, her eyes darting back and forth, surveying the room, listening for any abnormal sounds.

"The documents from the agency … they're in the office, right?" He asked her, trying to ignore her nervous behavior.

"Yeah … I think." She replied, clinging onto his arm in fear that something may jump out from the walls, terminating her and her husband's life.

"For Hyne's sake, Rin …" Squall hissed and moved forth through the house, climbing the stairs to the second floor.  "You're starting to make _me_ edgy."  She followed anxiously behind him. 

"Check in Alessandro's room to see if he's still unconscious." Rinoa said quickly, pointing at her son's bedroom.

Squall nodded confidently as he entered Alex's room, his eyes scanning what was once a battlefield.  He saw holes in the walls that were undoubtedly caused by fists, and the smaller ones by bullets.  He looked at the bloodstained baseball bat and his eyebrow arched, "With a bat, Rin?"

"Why don't you shut the fuck up because it sure as hell wasn't funny at the time." She snapped back at him, "Is he gone?"

"I don't know if he's _gone _… he may still be in the house." He answered her, smiling slightly, knowing the effect that would have on his spouse.  The look of pure horror made him reconsider his answer slightly, "Don't worry, don't worry …" He pointed to marks on the carpeted floor that indicated pressure of battle boots, "He left.  See?  Footprints."

"Footprints, but to where?" Rinoa hissed.

"Down the stairs.  Through the living room and out the front door." Squall answered lamely, "You've really lost everything the agency has taught you.  For one thing, when you enter an area, you look around … not at the walls … at the floor."

"I haven't lost everything they've taught me … I still know how to kill." She snapped threateningly at him.

"Alright, alright … I'm sorry." Squall answered sincerely, reaching for his wife's hand and holding it gently, "Let's go get the documents and some clothes."

She silently accepted his apology and followed him slowly into their bedroom.  Squall got a small duffel bag from the closet and began throwing in random articles of clothing, "You'd think we're going on a vacation." His tone was cynical, the joke nearly unrecognizable.

Rinoa had disappeared to the bathroom, trying to swallow the childish urge to burst into tears of despair; she grabbed the two toothbrushes that were installed at the sink and the tube of toothpaste as well.  She fumbled for a hairbrush from the drawer and went back into the bedroom to deposit the hygienic items on the bed.

"You going to get the kids' stuff?" Squall asked, whilst expertly packing.  Besides enduring training and efficient murder strategies the agency had taught each and every agent how to pack and conserve as much space in the bag as possible.

"Yeah …" She said weakly, leaving the room.  She left her bedroom silently, creeping out into the hallway of her own house.  Her stomach was giving nervous tugs, her arms filled with goosebumps that were the results from shivers running down the entire length of her body.  She watched every moving shadow making sure she was its creator.

She entered the spare bedroom and flicked on the light instantly.  She collected the toothbrushes, the bubblegum flavored toothpaste and a bar of soap (just in case).  Normally, she wouldn't have painstakingly thought of all these things.  As an agent, she only packed with necessities.  However, becoming a mother had the typical effect of wanting to pack everything plus the kitchen sink.

She had to mentally restrain herself from grabbing Riana's comforter, _just in case_, when she entered her young daughter's room.  Instead she went for the drawers, grabbing every article of clothing that seemed necessary.  She repeated the process in her son's room and shuffled back to her room where she deposited the armful of clothes on the bed.  

Her husband looked at her in disbelief, "Do you know the meaning of traveling light?" He asked, eyeing the drawers of clothes.

"Squall, I _never_ want to come back here again." She answered him, "Everything that gets left behind stays behind, ok?"

"Ok … alright." He nodded, "So how about our clothes?"

"What about them?  We're obviously bringing some." She replied, almost in a snap.  She was nervous, he could tell.  The long, unsettled fear had been stirred deeply within her.

***

"Man, this is giving me the creeps." Zell's quivering voice broke the uneasy silence.

"Shut up." Caraway replied gruffly, his pistol aimed at the door.  The habitants of the Caraway mansion had heard unfamiliar noises coming from the garage and they did not know what it was.

Rinoa and Squall held their position, near the garage doorway.  They listened for sounds that would help them indicate what was going on inside the house.  Nothing was to be heard.  You could almost bargain that the people who were supposed to be in the house were dead.  The thought sent shivers running down Rinoa's spine.

"Why'd you think it's so quiet?" Squall asked in a hushed voice, "Maybe they went upstairs or something?"

"Maybe they decided to move to Esthar for all I know." Rinoa replied sardonically though she wished it wasn't the case.  The desire to see her kids again was threatening to take over and, foe present or not, she'd burst out of the garage yelling her head off.

Squall held her back, knowing very well of her indifference of safety at this instant in time, "Is there a reason you're being such a bitch at the moment?"

And the never-ending battle ensued once more, "Why yes, as a matter a fact there is!  The threat on my children's life this evening is part of the cause and seeing someone decapitated by a train does get to your nerves!" She had lost her hushed voice.

"Like I said I was doing perfectly fine without your help." Squall replied calmly however he had also thrown the whispering out the window.

"Bullshit!  If you hadn't left the house in the first place you wouldn't have gotten yourself into the sticky situation, sonofabitch!" Rinoa retorted, anger engulfing her entirely.

"You are the one who kicked me out!" A loud gunshot interrupted all further arguments that he had planned on unleashing.  He saw his wife's mouth about to scream at the top of her lungs but clasped a hand to her mouth muffling the cry of terror.

"Ok, I guess if I was dead I wouldn't have heard you!" Caraway roared and the garage door leading into the entryway of the mansion swung open, the barrel of his pistol fuming slightly.  Squall's eyes trailed and lingered at the bullet hole in the ceiling.

His train of thoughts that consisted mostly of 'The old man's off his rocker.' Were interrupted by a set of healthy teeth sinking deeply into his hand.  It was then he remembered (painfully) that he was still covering Rinoa's mouth.  He jerked away, "What the Hell, what is your problem?" His palm was slightly numb.

"Man, I take back anything I said about wanting to work with your wife." Zell whistled at Squall.  Rinoa's eyes flared.

"What's that supposed to mean, you freaking shitface?" And in an instant her fist had slammed on his right cheekbone.  He howled in pain and backed into a wall where he squirmed and complained a bit more.

"For crying out loud will you stop injuring my employees?" Caraway yelled at his daughter.

In return she gave him the finger and her father just stared, shocked at her behavior, "No I won't."

"Rhetorical question." Caraway growled, "And you best learn your manners, Rinoa, because you're life and that of your entire family hangs with one, little thread." She remained silent however glared at her father, hating the truth behind his words.

"Woah, woah, woah!" Squall yelled out suddenly, "What the fuck is he doing here?" He pointed at Zell, remembering the familiar face from his last mission for the agency.

"You called me a traitor … and you were right." Zell said, massaging his cheek, wincing at the pain, "I'm a traitor to save your ugly ass from the only thing that hasn't stopped trying to kill you for seven years now."

"What do you mean seven years?  And what 'thing'?" Squall snapped, losing patience, "And who's ass are you talking about here?  His?" He pointed at Caraway.

"Oh shut your stupid mouth, Leonheart." Caraway spat venomously at his son-in-law, "Let's go end this in the basement.  Agents will not retard to perform a search here … but they won't find us downstairs."

Sabam: Another chapter completed.  Well, that's done and over with.  I'm really sorry if I bored you out of your minds with this one.  Actually, I've probably done that with the last few as well, huh?  Anyone else getting the impression they're about nothing?  Well, the storyline shall unfold soon, once again I'm sorry.  Please don't keep that from reviewing, I desperately need feedback.  If only a few people are actually interested in this story than maybe I won't bother to end it. 


	20. Chapter Twenty

Disclaimer: I still do not own FF8 however I plot some evil plots that will gain me the SQUARESOFT Corporation!  *Gets dragged away by police officers*

Chapter Twenty 

The four had proceeded to the Caraway basement, of which the secret entrance was located in James Caraway's study.  After entering through the secret passage, they advanced down the slate, winding stairway.  They arrived at a large room with pipes hovering near the ceiling.  A few manholes had been scattered throughout but the rest of the décor consisted of boxes upon boxes of files, papers, records, listings, everything a government would have access to.

Squall dropped his bag with a thud, "Yeah … so is this a maze of some sort?" He asked annoyed, finding no way to maneuver through them.

"No." Caraway responded equally as annoyed, he carried on through a gap between two columns of boxes that reached seven feet high.  The rest followed.  Rinoa found it was indeed a bit like a maze, striding nervously through thin corridors that turned endlessly.

At the second corner or so they arrived at a more open space and Squall felt his slight claustrophobic tendencies fade away.  It seemed like a little house made of boxes.  The divisions were made with boxes that rose up to around three feet high.  In one particular 'room' there was a double bed.  He couldn't see many other divisions however sitting at a particularly large division was a table with six chairs around it … Julia, Riana and Alessandro all sitting, open mouthed in surprise at who had just walked in.

"Mom, dad!" Alessandro was the first to recover and he jumped from his chair, over the boxes to his parents.  Riana followed soon after however, short to a fault, she did not try to leap over the boxes.  She just took what seemed like the entranceway into the division.

Julia also got up, blinking away the water in her eyes.  "Thank goodness …" She sighed and leaned against the table to support her shaking legs.

The reunion was short-lived.  Caraway motioned to the table for everyone to sit and 'conference' as he called it.  Riana chose to sit on her mother's lap, as there was a lack of chairs.  Zell went into a lengthy explanation on how he had been an agent for the past two years, whilst working for Caraway.  The general admitted to having a large amount of suspicion concerning Ackroyde's plans.

"Alright … now we must figure out a way to end all this." Caraway began, folding his hands on the foldable card table.

"Can't we just run?" Squall asked, avoiding eye contact with his father-in-law, "Change our names.  People do that when they're in trouble."

"Why're we in trouble?" Riana squealed, her eyes open and alert.

"Shh …" Rinoa hushed and when her younger daughter turned back to look at her she only shook her head.  "Not now."

Julia looked upon her daughter and granddaughter with pity.  It wasn't right; they didn't have to go through this.  They _shouldn't_ have to go through this.

"I thought you were a man." Caraway's gruff voice could have sliced through ice, "You think running is an honorable solution?"

Anger rose to a new height for ex-Agent Leonheart.  Too much had happened in one night, too much for him to be justified a coward, "Eat shit!" He slammed his fist on the table angrily, making everyone flinch, "For once, think about others!" He stood up towering over Caraway, both of his fists on the table, "I _am_ a man … who thinks about his family's safety first.  I don't care if _your_ name bites the dust."

"Squall …" Rinoa pleaded but it wasn't of much use.  He turned around and left the room of made of cardboard boxes and found his way to the back of the basement.  There were no boxes here, only the wall that separated this section of the basement from the house-like divisions and two doorways leading Hyne knows where.  The Caraway mansion was filled with mysteries and Squall didn't have the mind to solve any at this point.

He heard heavy footsteps behind him, recognized the sound of men's boots.  He reflexively reached for the pack of cigarettes in his jacket pocket and lit himself one with a match.  Caraway spoke in a low voice, "Does she know you smoke?"

"Does she know her father's a twit?" He responded, taking a drag on his only physical flaw letting the carbon monoxide bond with his red blood cells, calming his raging spirit for a split second.  His back was still to his opponent.

"I thought she had justified that a long time ago." His voice was harsh and meant to sting but Leonheart had grown immune already, "If we run they will chase us to the end of the world until they find us.  You may say that will take a while and you're right but that will only have exhausted Ackroyde's patience and so when he strikes, he will strike to kill."

"Okay." Replied Squall, puffing on his cigarette as if it were life support, "So what the Hell is your fucking honorable solution, General Caraway?"

"Infiltration." The agency General replied coldly.

"Woah, that's way too fucking precise for me, you're going to have to be a little more unspecific." Leonheart replied sarcastically, taking another long drag of his cancer stick.

"Infiltration … we-infiltrate-the-headquarters." Caraway hissed, enunciating every word as if he was speaking to a mental health-recovering patient.

"Okay." Squall replied almost as if he thought it was a grand idea.  He threw his cigarette butt on the floor and grinded it with his heel.  When he turned to his father-in-law the pupils of his eyes seemed to contain a flame and he suddenly spat, "AND THAT WOULD BE A FUCKING STUPID IDEA!  You still haven't seemed to catch my drift, I've got a wife, a son and a daughter … walking into a building with thousands of trained people who want my fucking ass isn't on my 'to-do' list!"

"Oh, I 'catch your drift'." Caraway snapped, "Believe me I do.  I've also got a wife and a daughter … WHO IS MARRIED TO A DULLARD!"

"A dullard?" Squall repeated almost as if he was about to burst into hysterical laughter, "Hoo boy, am I glad the way you talk hasn't rubbed off on your daughter!"  He returned to the table division, (With Caraway snapping behind him, 'My way of _speaking_, _speaking_ … not talking.') "Thank you Julia, for teaching Rinoa how to speak English like a normal person because I wouldn't understand single word coming out of her mouth today."

"Shut up you cretin!" Caraway snapped, following behind, "There is absolutely nothing wrong with the way I speak English!"

"No, no, no … you sound like an 'pompous' ass." Squall mimicked a bit of Caraway's dialect.

The general roared back, "Mark my words, Leonheart … if you don't die in battle I'll kill you myself!"

"DAD!" Rinoa snapped, surprised with herself, "Just … shut up!" Squall gave a satisfied smirk but she soon turned to him, "Stop acting so fresh, Leonheart, if anyone sounds like pompous ass it's you."

He gaped at her, "What?" Zell leaned back in his chair leisurely, chuckling at the exchange.  He was smirking until Squall reached over the table and grabbed him by the collar. "What's so funny, you shitkicker?" Zell shook his head with a nervous smile and raised his hands in a movement of surrender.

***

The two doorways at the back of the basement were really leading to two different bedroom-like quarters.  Caraway had reserved one for himself and had ordered Squall and Rinoa to take the other room with their kids.  Zell had been unfortunate enough to be handed a rifle and told to stand guard until three in the morning.  Then he could head back to the double bed that was confined between boxes.

Rinoa and Squall's room contained one double bed though there was a small closet-like room linking along with it that included a bunk bed.  They set down the heavy suitcases and looked around their new 'living place'.  "Could have decorated." Rinoa spat out sarcastically at the gray cement walls.

"If you aren't happy with it then you can go back out onto the streets." She hadn't realized Caraway was right in back of her, "Or maybe I'll fetch you some wallpaper and wood at the nearby renovation center."

"Go to Hell …" She muttered underneath her breath however Caraway caught her words with an air of indifference.  

Riana and Alessandro were already looking around excitedly at their new bunk beds, "This is so cool!!  Dibs on the top bunk!" Alex cried out, climbing the wooden ladder quickly.

"I want the top bunk!" Riana protested, "MOMMY!"

Unfortunately for the two brawling children, their mother was far from in the mood to solve the ridiculous arguments, "Shut up or I feed you to the dog!" She snapped, pointing at the whining Angelo in a secluded corner of the room.  He barked weakly and curled up, his tail not wagging.

"Angelo would never eat us!" Alex retorted back.  He didn't always picked the right moments, his mother was having a near boil over.

"You're right, but I'll bet you those werewolves in your closet would!" She screamed out before realizing what she had said.  The color in her son's face completely drained, "No, no … that's not what I meant … there are no monsters here." She tired covering up her mistake, "Look, there isn't even a closet!  So no monster!  There is no monster, none …"

"Good job, Rinoa." Squall rolled his eyes, getting a well-earned glare in response from his fumbling wife.

"Mommy … why do we have to hide out in this basement?" Riana's voice was small and shy, as if she didn't really think she wanted an answer.

"Well …" She struggled with the answer caught in her throat.  For the first time she felt thankful that her father understood and henceforth left the room, closing the door silently behind him.  Squall shifted nervously on the spot.

"Yeah … and was that all about back in the house?  I was really scared … I didn't know you could fight." His face lit up slightly as if he withheld admiration for his mother's martial arts skills, almost as much as her mathematics skills that got him through his homework.

"Both me and your mom can fight." She recognized the heavy voice as Squall's and she listened to him go on painfully, "And we have our reasons for that.  It's a pretty damn long story too, so we aren't going to cover it all."

The kids remained silent, "Your mom and I used to work together at an agency."

"Woah!  Like secret agents and stuff!  That's … so wicked!  So you guys had all kinds of high tech devices like James Bond?" Alex burst into ecstatic awe and Riana only looked on confused.  'Maybe it's like in the movies … the two agents that fell in love with each other?' She thought.

"Yeah … no, it wasn't cool." Rinoa murmured, barely audible, and then continued, "It's not what you think it was at all." Her voice was calm and even.

"You know, you guys want to sit down?" Squall gestured to the bed and Riana immediately climbed on.  Her brother followed suite, then Rinoa, and then Squall himself.

Riana instinctively went to her mother, sat on her lap and leaned back in a tired fashion, with the fixed idea of falling into a deep slumber.  "Well anyways," Squall continued narrating, "Our job … was …"

Rinoa interrupted curtly, "We used to be assassins."

Sabam: Well, both kids will have different reactions, I'll tell you that much.  Man, poor kids, what would you guys do if your parents told you they used to be assassins?  And Rinoa had just threatened to feed them to the dog!  *Shakes head* I'm sorry if the characters pass off as psychotic, but they're really supposed to be immature.  Anyways, please review, it's important to me to know how you feel about my writing.  It's a process that allows me to get better!  Review, review, review!  

Sidenote: I imagined Caraway with a British accent.  Sorry. 


	21. Chapter TwentyOne

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Final Fantasy VIII … doesn't anyone think it would be better off in my hands though?  *Tumbleweed of silence rolls by*

Chapter Twenty-One 

****

The seconds that trickled through seemed like hours of silence on the part of their children.  Alessandro's eyes had gone slightly larger and Riana had budged away from her mother's body.  'Should have shut my goddamn mouth …' Rinoa thought bitterly, 'Or at least reduce the impact of the freaking bomb.'

"Your mother quit when we had you, Alex … and I continued working for them.  The one who's after us is the agency.  The man that broke into our house tonight was working for them, we used to be friends with that guy."

Alex was the first to react.  His tiny hands were balled into fists and they slammed against the mattress of the double bed, "You guys are sick!" He spat horribly, "My own parents are a bunch of creeps!"

Rinoa felt tears stinging her eyes.  Truth … unkind truth in a seven-year-old's tiny, angry voice was harsher than a Trabian blizzard.  Squall's impatience of the unjust judgment placed by his son was piqued, "Listen kid, there's going to be many mistakes made in your lifetime and no one is going to rub your nose-"

"Be quiet!" Alex screamed cupping his hands over his ears, "You guys killed people!  You weren't any better than the monster!"

"Take another tone with me, Alex!" Squall roared, "We never hurt you, we did everything so you could live off a nice, comfortable living without any goddamn-"

"You stunk at it!" He yelled back, "I hate you!" His words were mostly directed towards his father, "You just left all the time!  You were never around!  That's what you were doing, killing people!  I hate you!"

"Alex …" Rinoa began but was interrupted by her son's raging tyranny.

"I hate you too!  You're all just a bunch of creeps!  You've been lying to us since we were born!" Alex cried out, his eyes shinning with fresh tears.

"Do you think it was fun for us?" Rinoa asked suddenly, "You can think and tell everyone that your parents were the worst people to have ever lived.  Frankly, I have nothing against expression of opinions.  I've said I've hated my father for my entire life … but do I really?"

Alex breathed deeply, tears now falling from his face.  Riana was crying too and through her sobs you could make out certain words, "I … want to go home … I want to go home … I want to go home."

On the other side of the wall, Caraway held his lit pipe thoughtfully.  Anyone could have assumed that he was simply pondering but if light shone his way you could see the tear streaks of regret that stained his weary cheeks.

***

Swirling black mist surrounded her and she could swear she heard laughter somewhere off in the unknown distance.  Cruel laughter … someone was laughing at_ her_.  Her feet felt cold … wet.  She was standing in ankle-deep water, but not colorless water.  Black, thick water that glued her on the spot.

She heard the rushing of water and a cold gust of wind chilled her.  When she looked back a huge wave was curling in towards her … it crashed against the shores and all she felt was water pouring down on her, the weight unbearable to her weakened bones.  She felt like she was being crushed.

Her broken body faded into darkness … where the only lights were shone from two green, piecing eyes. 'For the heart that loved him … you disappoint me, Rinoa …' The voice belonged to two people, however she heard it as one, warped sound.

'For the heart that loved him …' A sudden piercing pain sliced into her abdomen.  She awoke, sweating and gasping, realizing she had turned over onto her delicate stomach.  She was half sitting now, clutching her bandages, weathering the sharp pains.

Squall eased her back down softly, "Shh …" He whispered, "Calm down …" His soothing murmurs got her heartbeat down a notch and she clung onto his t-shit as if it were her only lifeline.  

"I feel drenched …" Her voice was barely a hoarse whisper, "And … I feel really hot …"

He gave her an awkward stare and took her hands in his own, "Rin … you're cold as ice."

The room was dark, the children asleep in the confining closet like room.  She pushed off some of the covers off the bed, "I'm going crazy …" He grabbed some of the covers before they fell off the edge of the bed and pulled them back onto her.

"You're freezing cold …" He whispered in a concerned voice, checking his watch by pressing the 'Glow' button he declared, "It's four in the morning …" He slipped his hands under her and held her like that for a moment.

Finding comfort in his touch she didn't push him away.  He bent down over her and kissed her softly on the lips.  She brushed away some of his falling locks of brown hair and left the tips of her fingers feel his strong jaw and slightly unshaven face.

They drew apart and were silent for a moment, almost as if listening for noises of wakened people.  There was none, only the dripping of a pipe, somewhere in the basement, and the occasional creaks of the house above them.

Squall bent down once more, brushing his lips against hers and then plunging into an eager kiss.  They broke apart only for short gasps of breath before resuming their activity.  Rinoa's hands worked their way down to Squall's waist where she grabbed his t-shirt and pulled it over his head, causing them to momentarily separate.

When their lips touched again, however, their kisses were more fervent.  Rinoa felt his bare back, touching the cuts and causing him to wince as she touched his bruises.  She felt his hands and his cold wristwatch come in direct contact with her lower back.

"Damn it, Squall …" She whispered painfully as he accidentally applied pressure to her wounds.

"Sorry …" He mumbled apologetically before beginning to trail kisses on her neck.  He rolled over into dominant position causing her to wince again slightly.  They carried on, with the both of them obeying a set rule … 'Silence.'.

***

Their lovemaking plagued her with insomnia.  Rinoa edged closer to her husband, wondering what time it was now.  Five thirty?  'Somewhere around there.' She concluded.  His breathing was predictable, feeding her the fact that she could now elbow him and he wouldn't even wake.  

She undertook this opportunity to cradle her head under his chin.  The clothing that had been discarded roughly an hour ago had been put back on.  She touched the bicep of the arm that was draped over her waist.  She slowly dragged her fingertips along the length of his arm, stopping at his knuckles.  "Wake up …" She whispered, knowing very well it was all in vain.

His rhythmic breathing continued on endlessly.  She sighed but comforted herself in the warmth his body gave her.  Her eyelids were heavy and she'd just wish they'd clamp shut but something kept snapping her back awake each time she seemed to drift off.

She tried concentrating on something lame; the dripping of a pipe, the snoring of her father in the other room, or Squall's periodic breathing.  'One sheep … two sheep … three sheep … this isn't working.' She sighed, "Squall, wake up or I'll kill you." It was not a whisper anymore and yet it yielded the same results.

"You suck." She cuddled closer and rested her hands on his chest, "You hear me?  I hate you." She grimaced, 'Why the hell can't I drop like a rock?  Ah … I'm so tired …' She whined softly, 'I want to start bawling so everyone would wake up and I wouldn't be the only irritated one anymore.' She seriously pondered this for a moment and then grimaced once more, 'Actually, I'd rather be alone.'

Her eyelids weighed heavy and she closed her eyes, 'Step one, completed.' She thought sarcastically and snuggled closer to the warmer body.  'Just … think of the harsh physical activities that good ol' pops is going to make you go through today.' Miserable, she fell into a light sleep; unaware of the crude awakening she was to suffer at seven thirty in the morning.

"James, please." Julia begged once again, "First of all, they may both be naked, second of all … it's utterly mean!" 

"I don't care!" The General scowled at the thought of the 'First of all'.  He entered the second room with a pitcher filled with icy water.  To his great relief, they weren't naked.  However, something struck him harder.

His daughter was nestled in her husbands arms, 'They're so young.' He thought as if he had never noticed before, ' … and charming …' He was repulsed at himself for having these thoughts.  He shook himself off vigorously and proceeded with what he came in the room to do.

With a swing of his arm, the vast body of free water escaped the pitcher and splashed onto the sleeping couple that awoke with quite a start.  Both their eyes shot open and Rinoa gasped while Squall hissed, "Holy sh-"

"Welcome to boot camp." Caraway growled and set the empty jug on the floor beside the bed.

"Oh, I bet you felt really smart saying that!" Rinoa screeched at the top of her lungs.  The icy contents was dripping down the front of her shirt, she crossed her arms over her chest as a reflex.

"SON OF A BITCH!" Squall yelled out, "I going to fucking kill you!" His muscles felt frozen to the core.

The two children, awakened by the loud screaming, rushed into the room in wonder of what was happening.  They found their parents utterly drenched.  Their eyes went back and forth from their smug looking grandfather to their frustrated parents and added two and two together.

"You're so stupid!" Rinoa spat out, removing some of the wet strands of hair from her cheeks, but not taking away her arms from across her chest, "You could have gotten a crowing rooster, a frigging alarm clock and FUCKING BUGLE FOR ALL I COULD HAVE GIVEN A FLYING SHIT!"

"WHERE THE HELL DID YOU GET THIS WATER FROM?  TRABIAN ICE?" Squall saw his wife shiver out of the corner of his eye, "You stupid prick!" 

"Training begins now.  And we won't be taking it slow, step-by-step." Caraway snapped gruffly, he then turned on his heel and left the soaking 'adults' to deal with their obvious misfortune.

The morning went on with the usual inconveniences that residing in a basement brought.  After brushing her teeth with cold, unclean-looking tap water from a cobwebbed decorated sink, Rinoa wished to take her shower.  A request that was denied by her annoyed father causing an eruption of angry words, "I feel disgusting!  How can you keep me from cleaning myself!  This is stupid!"

After she lost that debate, she was further forced to change into training wear.  "Want me to help you with that?" Zell had asked, wiggling his eyebrows.  His reply had been a long, death glare from Squall.  

Finally, when the four agents had emerged with their training wear (some looking grimmer than others) the training had hence begun.  Zell had installed technical equipment in a large clearing of the basement.  Julia, Caraway, Squall and Rinoa had been informed that this was 'the peak of technology' to measure fighting force, speed and technique.  Battles would be monitored by radars set up at every corner of the room.

"Where do you get this crap?" Rinoa asked coolly looking around.

"I get around." Zell winked at her and Squall's ferocious glare turned itself upon the poor technician once more.

Alessandro and Riana had come to watch.  They sat in uncomfortable chairs behind the main computer.  The room was dank, the only light coming from dim lights on the ceiling.

"Let's get this shit going already!" Squall snapped gruffly as Zell took his sweet time sitting at the main computer and opening up all the programs.

"Don't get a freaking woody about it." Zell retorted calmly.

"What's a woody?" Alessandro whispered to Zell.

"An erection." Zell murmured back.

"What's that?" The young boy asked again.  
"Something any guy can get by looking at your mom." Zell smirked.  To the technician's dismay, Rinoa had heard the conversation.

"What?" Alex still didn't get it, however he received no reply to his question because his mother had kicked up Zell's chair, causing it to have spun over and sent him crashing to the floor.

"You sick, demented pervert!" She hurled insults at him, "If you ever talk to my kids again I swear I'll shoot off your-"

"Rinoa, please!" Caraway roared, "What the hell did he do now?" The aging General rubbed his temples in obvious annoyance.

"He just-" Rinoa stopped in mid-sentence.  Did she really want to tell her father what she had just heard?  'God no …' She thought.  So instead of answering her father's question, she kicked the fallen Zell in the ribs causing another anguished cry.

"Why do you always hurt me?" Zell whined softly and Rinoa ignored him.

"Is it the pity that made you hire him?" Rinoa hissed at her father as she walked by him.

"No, he just reminded me so much of you." Caraway snapped back.

"That's it, old man!" She screamed out.  And the first battle ensued.

Sabam: Did anyone else get the feeling that I had no clue what I was writing?  Yeah, well anyways.  The Squall/Rinoa scene was quite … uhm … anyways.  I hope you enjoyed the chapter.  **Please, please, please review!**


	22. Chapter TwentyTwo

Disclaimer: I do not own any Final Fantasy VIII characters or location. They all rightfully belong to SQUARESOFT but everyone thinks that it would all be better in my hands, right? *Tumbleweed of silence blows by* Right?  
  
Chapter Twenty-Two  
  
The training sessions were long and brutal. Squall and Caraway were used to it as they frequently went on missions for the agency however Rinoa and Julia had a tougher time keeping up. Even though the two had kept in shape over the past years they had neglected the long forgotten techniques of martial arts.  
  
However, it wasn't quite the training that irritated Rinoa to a point of insanity. It was the amount of people she was living with that was driving her up the wall. For the past six or seven years she had been living a quiet, family life with a maximum of four people in the household which even caused her to blow her stack once in a while. You see, if Rinoa had been chosen to appear on such a show as 'Big Brother' she would most likely murder all the other candidates before the second day.  
  
And she was now trapped with a hefty number of seven people in a distinctly small area. You couldn't leave one room and emerge in another without seeing someone else. She couldn't go anywhere to be alone. Not to mention that she was surrounded by cardboard boxes.  
  
Another issue was food. "I've been doing physical labor all day long and what's for supper? Broccoli!" She poked at it with her fork disdainfully, "Broccoli and tofu!" She didn't even dare touch the tofu.  
  
"You can't fit much in a miniature refrigerator and the stove isn't the best so will you shut your mouth and eat?" Caraway growled from his end of the table.  
  
"Heck no!" His angry daughter replied, "I want some real food!"  
  
"Then why don't you go out and get some!" Her father drawled back sarcastically.  
  
"You know, I think I will!" She rose from the table defiantly and pushed in her chair.  
  
"You leave this table and there will be consequences!" Her father roared, slamming his fist on the table and rising to a standing position also.  
  
"Just like the old days, isn't dad?" And she walked off through the piles of cardboard boxes in the direction of the slate stairs.  
  
"For crying out loud!" The General snapped and rubbed his temples, "I'm sorry I misjudged you Leonheart, you are the bravest man alive to live with that girl!" He stomped off after his daughter.  
  
"Well she isn't that bad if you let her do what she wants." Squall too got up and he too followed the footsteps of his angry wife. Julia and Zell soon got up and pursued them with the children close behind.  
  
When they found Rinoa she was scrounging around in the fridge upstairs, "You could have at least brought up a gun!" Her father's voice scolded from behind her, "And now that you're up here you might as well make some food for everyone."  
  
"My pleasure, where do you keep your arsenic?" She responded with some slight sarcasm apparent, "Not like you have any more food here. Ham . bread . mm, carrots? Oh, can't forget the yummy rice cakes . what are you on, a diet?"  
  
"No, however you might do some good to yourself if you picked up a diet, sweetheart." He snapped at her and she whirled around to face him.  
  
"You just called me fat!" She hissed in disbelief.  
  
"No, I didn't." Caraway replied in an arrogant though innocent voice.  
  
"Indirectly, you did!"  
  
"Not fat, chunky and slow."  
  
"I'M NOT CHUNKY AND I'M NOT SLOW!" She screamed back incredulously, "And what the Hell do you care anyways?"  
  
"Well, when we infiltrate the agency I wouldn't want a slow fighter on my side."  
  
"Fine then, I'll become anorexic!"  
  
"No, please don't." Squall had been watching the feud as well as everyone else. He looked as if he were about to burst in fits of laughter, "You're a pain in the neck when you go without food."  
  
Her glare turned itself upon the poor husband, "You're a pain in the neck when you're breathing! Drop dead, stupidhead!"  
  
"Hey that rhymed, give her a dime." Zell smirked; making Julia bit her lower lip to resist the smile that had provoked the corners of her mouth to turn up slightly.  
  
"I'm going to rip out your spine and beat you over the head with it." She snapped at Zell. "I'm not chunky." She gave a look to her father and began rummaging around the cupboards.  
  
"So . you're just big-boned?" Zell was really pushing his luck. Rinoa grabbed the sharpest knife from the nearby butcher-block and hurled it at him. It whizzed in the air, slicing it with a hiss and it lodged itself just above Zell's hairdo, deep in the wall.  
  
"Pity, I missed." She took another knife and twirled it around her fingers, "Maybe I need target practice." Squall couldn't help smiling, she had missed on purpose. She sneered, "You look like you've just soiled yourself."  
  
Zell let out a sigh of relief, "I mean, I knew you wouldn't kill me. Wasn't worried at all." He shook off the terrified feeling and walked towards her, "So I suppose you don't mind being called fat?"  
  
Something hard came in contact with the back of his knees causing him to completely lose balance and fall over, "I'm not fat." In truth, she wasn't. She stood in her 5'4", 124 pounds glory, looming over him. She was healthy, maybe not to the agency standards but compared to most she was in good physical shape. "If you weren't the only one who could work those computers downstairs I'd consider killing you."  
  
"Why . you can't work them?" Zell asked tauntingly.  
  
"Are you kidding me? Rinoa's conversations with computers are 'This program has performed an illegal operation.' 'So who's pressing charges?'" Squall piped in with his usual smart comments.  
  
"Ha-ha, so funny." His wife glared at him.  
  
Everyone in the room was secretly enjoying the teasing, the joking, the empty threats. Maybe in fear that they may never have the opportunity to play around like this ever again, maybe in acceptance that this was how they each communicated their love, their friendship, their trust.  
  
"I've never met someone who took so long making one sandwich." Caraway growled at his daughter.  
  
Rinoa, who (with the help of her mother) was preparing sandwiches, shot him a smirk. A raspy sound was heard from her throat and everyone seemed to turn to her wondering what she was doing. Squall instantly realized that she was 'horking up a lugi' as young kids would say. Caraway soon become conscious of it and he grabbed the meal from his daughter, "Hey, hey, woah!" He snatched it in a swift panic, "I really don't know where the hell you get that attitude."  
  
She just gave him a satisfied look and Squall smiled inwardly. He had taught her how to do that in Dollet; from a bridge they had practiced using people's heads as targets.  
  
Zell cleared his throat, "Well now that we know Rinoa doesn't swallow, she spits ."  
  
Squall who had just taken a gulp from his coke began hacking and coughing, turning red at the ears and cheeks. Julia covered her mouth, afraid to burst out laughing, "Does he have something to be embarrassed about?"  
  
Rinoa glowered at Zell long and hard. To the great surprise of the 'adults', Caraway rubbed his chin in amusement, "Well, I could have gone on without that information."  
  
Alex had enough, he cried out in utmost annoyance, "I never know what you people are talking about!"  
  
***  
  
"Now to test your concentration level." Caraway tried not to smirk, "Rinoa and Squall will go first. I will recite a tongue twister and call out one of your names whilst you are fighting and you must repeat it, got it?"  
  
"No." Squall said immediately.  
  
"Too bad. Go."  
  
Squall blocked incoming punches from his wife with the palm of his hands and when he could, he evaded them. It wasn't long before General Caraway called out, "Squall! How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood!"  
  
"I don't know!" Squall answered back.  
  
"Repeat the damn thing Leonheart." Caraway snapped.  
  
"Can't you see I'm busy?" Squall hissed back and in result, Rinoa's kick tripped him onto his knees, "How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood!" He said as quickly as possible and grabbed Rinoa's leg. She jumped over him, releasing herself from his grip and stepping on his shoulder as a bonus.  
  
"Rinoa! Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked. If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?"  
  
"That's not fair, his was shorter!" She accused, dodging Squall's fist by inches.  
  
"REPEAT THE DAMN THING!" The General was getting quite annoyed.  
  
"Peter Piper . picked a . whatever . pickles . how many pickles did he . HOLY SHIT!" She did a back flip, avoiding Squall's swift onslaught of kicks.  
  
"Rinoa! I wish to wash my Irish wristwatch!" Caraway rubbed his temples knowing very well she wouldn't do this one properly either.  
  
"I wish to wash my Iwish wishwash? Why am I doing this!?" She yelled out at her father temporarily turning towards him. Squall took up the opportunity to flip onto his hands and do a helicopter kick at her head that she simply blocked with her forearm.  
  
"Oh good enough!" Caraway snapped, "A sailor went to sea to see what he could see. And all he could see was sea, sea, sea."  
  
"Why does he always get the easy ones?" Rinoa snapped, taking the offensive.  
  
Squall recited with ease, "A sailor went to sea to see what he could see. And all he could see was sea, sea, sea."  
  
"I wish to wish the wish you wish to wish, but if you wish the wish the witch wishes, I won't wish the wish you wish to wish. Both of you!"  
  
"I wish to wish the wish you wish to wish ." Squall stopped abruptly as he had forgotten the rest.  
  
"I wish to wish the wish you wish to wish but if you wish the wish the witch wishes, I . I ."  
  
Squall remembered suddenly, letting down his guard, "I won't wish the wish you wish to-" Rinoa's leg crashed against his abdomen sending him flat on his back. Both fighters stopped gasping for air.  
  
Rinoa turned to her father, "I wish to wish the wish you wish to wish but if you wish to continue on with this I'M GOING TO KILL SOMETHING!"  
  
"That . really hurt!" Squall shouted at his wife, he clutched his stomach painfully.  
  
She scowled at him, "Oh take it like a man, and suck it up! This was the dumbest training session I've ever experienced."  
  
"It's May 21st." Julia said out of the blue. Her comment was specifically supposed to hit Squall and Rinoa.  
  
"That was the most random comment you have ever-" Rinoa cut her sentence short, "It is?"  
  
"Mhmm ." Julia replied and pretended to be interested in filing her nails.  
  
"Oh." She glanced at Squall who had stood up and brushed himself off. Her gaze shifted, slightly embarrassed to the wall behind her father.  
  
"It means it's Alessandro's birthday in ." Riana counted off her fingers, "In seven months! Christmas too!"  
  
"Yeah ." Rinoa said absent-mindedly.  
  
"Why in Hyne's name is this relevant?" Caraway demanded an answer. He had a tendency to get aggravated when he couldn't distinctly follow the flow of information.  
  
"Never mind, dad." Rinoa waved away the event, "Where were we?"  
  
***  
  
After much whining, Caraway gave into Rinoa's annoying complaints and let her go up to take a shower. Alex and Riana had both taken their baths yesterday evening so it was judged to be a time waster to send them up. Besides, they possessed no wounds that could infect.  
  
"Don't act happy, I'm sending you up tomorrow." Rinoa informed Alex as soon as she saw him do a little victory dance due to his escape of 'the evil bath'. He only grimaced and crossed his arms in protest.  
  
Rinoa, Zell and Squall went up as the first group. Rinoa was the first to go (and anyone who would have stood in her way would have been transformed to mincemeat). She took her sweet time, enjoying the wonderful feeling of warm, cleaning water once more.  
  
"Why the hell do girls take so damn long?" Zell grumbled, holding his position as a guard near the bathroom door.  
  
"I have a feeling she's doing it on purpose." Squall answered, leaning against the wall.  
  
"You know, if you want to join her in there you can. I won't mind, neither will I mention it to the General." Zell offered but only received a glare from his companion, "No, man! I was being serious. She's your wife . you should get to spend some time with her, I mean . we don't know what'll happen in the agency and all."  
  
Squall didn't answer. Twenty minutes later, Rinoa emerged from the bathroom looking as fresh as a daisy. Zell dashed into the bathroom before Squall could say, "No you fucker, my turn!"  
  
But he soon forgot about his woes and about the inconvenience that there would most likely be no hot water left when it came his turn. He shoved his hands in his jeans pockets and grumbled to himself a while. "If it eases your anger, there probably isn't any warm water left for him either." Rinoa smiled.  
  
Squall shook his head, "You're so mean." He approached her slowly. Her hands slid onto his waist and drew him closer.  
  
"Yeah . I know." She replied, her lips brushed against his collarbone and pressed themselves on his neck.  
  
He bent forward and with one hand out of his pocket he raised her face to him and kissed her. When they came to draw apart he renewed the kiss with more intimacy and love, in occasion of an important event that took place on the 21st of May. A memory of great importance . their wedding day.  
  
Sabam: Yeah, my excuse for making it a bit fluffy. This was supposed to be a sort of comedy relief chapter. I feel kind of bad making them go through all these horrendous events. So . a wedding, drinks all around! (Yes I got that from Pirates of the Caribbean). I hope you enjoyed it . and if you did then please review! 


	23. Chapter TwentyThree

Disclaimer: Alrighty, listen up.  When someone who is fifteen years old dresses up for Halloween and makes a fool out of herself JUST because she can't afford candy that isn't free … you know that she doesn't own Final Fantasy VIII.

Chapter Twenty-Three 

Rinoa yawned as Zell droned on about the security forces.  She discreetly stretched her arms to get rid of the pins and needles.  Caraway shot her a glare and slammed his fist on the table, "Keep awake, for Christ's sake!"

She jumped in surprise, her eyes wide in panic, "Sorry, sheesh."

"Uh … well, anyways, as I was saying.  They've got cameras at regular intervals on the first few floors that are monitored by the security section that is located on the 21st floor.  The total sector in charge of security stretches to about the 24th floor."  Zell was drawing little stick figures on a napkin within a space labeled '21-24' in a lousy attempt at a diagram, "From then on, there are actual security guards that secure the general area for obvious reasons.  Those floors need the back-up immediately if there is ever a problem."

"There are still cameras on that floor that are monitored on the floor just below Ackroyde's office, right?" Squall asked and brought the coffee cup to his lips.  It was midnight; he had trained all day and needed sleep.  If it weren't for the caffeine fix, he'd be out cold.

"Yeah, but those cameras are easy to disable.  No intruder has ever been expected to get that far.  I mean … only prized agents and Ackroyde are allowed past the 25th floor." Zell rubbed the back of his neck and yawned.

"Oh, I feel so special." Rinoa murmured, barely audible, and she too sipped some coffee from her mug.

"There's no chance of getting a word with Ackroyde if we walk in there and ask to see him." Zell informed as if it wasn't obvious enough, "So we try to make as less noise as possible until we reach the security sector.  I can't hack my way past the 25th floor, so you'll have to deactivate doors and cameras by my instructions.  Even before the 25th floor I can't work many miracles.  It is a government building so security is pretty top notch."

"Government building." Rinoa chuckled to herself, "Government … approved …" She rubbed her temples, "So other than that?"

"We can continue this tomorrow morning.  Just a warning that you shouldn't forget about the guards above the 24th floor … they're armed like an artillery."

"You don't arm an artillery, the artillery arms you." Rinoa muttered her correction.

"Huh?" Zell asked confused, wondering if he had really heard her say something.  
"I said you don't arm an artillery.  You can't be armed like an artillery." She repeated, "Whatever, it's a quarter past midnight, let's not get technical."

"I agree." Julia spoke her rare word, "Let's just go to sleep."

***

The dim light coming from the other room lit up the closet space.  Rinoa sighed, out of relief and out of exhaustion, as she looked upon her two sleeping children.  Riana had finally won the top bunk and she lay cuddled into a little ball, her fist clenched, sleeping soundly.

Alessandro was asleep on his side, facing her.  His breathing was rhythmically set.  Her motherly check-up was made however she didn't leave.  Taking a moments time, she gazed upon her sleeping kids.  

Someone came up behind her and she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her delicate waist, "Is there something wrong?" The deep voice of her husband asked.

"No, not really." She replied with her usual manner.

There was a moment of silence as the father also looked on at his sleeping son and daughter.  Squall asked tentatively, "What're you thinking about?"  He had never made a habit of asking that question however the few times he had asked he had received no response.

The extended silence made him believe she would not reply so he just kept his position until she spoke again.  She uttered a distinct word, the answer to his question, "Running."

The teenaged Squall could not reply, could not find words of comfort.  Adult Squall was nowhere to be seen.  He let go of her waist and took her by the hand, "Come on, let's just … let's just go to bed."  
"Why can't we run, just for a little while?  Procrastinate all this.  We could go to Timber or something and just live there until they find us and when they do we'll move somewhere else just please-"

"No, Rinoa … that's not going to work." Squall cut her short, annoyed at her childishness.

"Are we ever going to be happy?" The question was abrupt, too abrupt.

"What the Hell is that supposed to mean, Rinoa?" He scowled at her, his temper rising.

"Never mind." She muttered more to herself than to him and she turned around to leave the room.

"I'm sorry to learn I've ruined your life." The words were filled with venom and a twinge of hatred.

"I'm sorry that you had been thinking otherwise." She hadn't meant to say it, she hadn't meant to make it sound so hurtful, she hadn't meant so many things.  "No, that's not what I meant." She quickly caught herself but the damage was done.

"Right, ok." He turned around and left the room.  She heard him come to bed two hours later.  She was awake, and cursing herself for being the way she was.  She resisted the urge to curl near him to avoid the pain of him pushing her away.

***

Scuffling noises awakened her from her uneasy sleep.  The dripping of the pipe was monotonous however there was irregular noises coming from right above her.  Panic swelled like a balloon inside of her.  She practically leaped out of bed when she distinguished footsteps.  

She pulled on her jeans over her pajama boxers in a rush and scampered out the door, 'Someone's upstairs, someone's upstairs, _someone's upstairs!_' Were the only coherent thoughts that passed through her conscious.

She passed by Zell's bed and saw it empty, "Oh my God." She mumbled and grabbed the firearm that was near the bedside.  It was a small handgun, she didn't even check if it was loaded or whether or not it was on safety.

Darkness surrounded her and she was powerless without light to see.  She felt her way through the stacks of cardboard boxes.  She was literally shaking, shivering with anxiety and fear.  What was she to expect?  Armed agents?  Trainees?  Ackroyde himself?

She never had the time to reach the slate staircase as something slammed her into the wall.  In a complete state of panic, she neither screamed nor thrashed about, she only dropped her weapon to the floor and shut her eyes in the mass of terror, "What the Hell are you doing?"  It was Squall.

Rinoa couldn't help breath a sigh of relief, "I-I-I just … heard … something upstairs." She half-mumbled, half-stuttered.  Her hands were shaking and to stabilize them she grabbed her husband's wrists.  Just as she expected he pulled away and picked up the dropped weapon.  

He glared at her through the darkness, "Good job, when someone attacks you the last thing you do is drop your weapon."

"Would you have rather I shot you?" Rinoa snatched the gun from him in defiance.  

"Not that you would have, it's on safety." He growled at her in annoyance, "Let's go see what's upstairs." Rinoa grudgingly followed and disabled the safety.

They emerged in Caraway's office, still prime looking and clean.  They heard voices down the hall, already three men could be distinguished.  Then a forth, "Where da fuckin' Hell is dish stupid fuckin' place?"

A fifth silenced him with a haughty commander-like-voice, "Shut up, Mace.  Keep looking.  Flint and Conrad, look in the office.  Dan and Mace, you search the upstairs.  I'm going to look in the garage." Then they heard the footsteps coming closer.  

Squall took away the wine glass from the statue and deposited it on the shelf.  The sculpture slid back into place, closing the first entrance to the basement.  "Please explain to me why you didn't tell me to get back into the basement before you closed the door." Rinoa whispered in a desperate manner but he cupped a hand over mouth and forced her into the closet, entered himself and shut the door without noise.

There they waited, stuck between two large filing cabinets.  Rinoa shivered and the uneasiness at the pit of her stomach wouldn't leave her be.  Flint and Conrad entered in the bureau; "Snazzy …" One of them snickered.

Rinoa was only vaguely aware, in her utmost fear, that her husband was nudging her to the back of the closet.  He then stood, back to her, front to the door, a pistol aimed.  With his free hand he took her handgun and aimed for the door again.

"Whatever, there's nothing in here." The other said.

"We don't even know what we're looking for." 

"Ah fuck it.  Does it really matter?  So what if we don't find Leonheart and Heartilly?  The only freaking thing that the captain's looking for is a promotion.  I mean, what the Hell're we gunna get out of it?"

"We'll get to hand-cuff Heartilly." There was a rude snicker and Rinoa clasped the corner of a filing cabinet to restrain her undying urge to lunge out there and claw out their jugular artery.  'Why are men all the fucking same?' She grimaced in disdain as the thought floated around her head.

Little did she know, Squall was clenching his teeth and the guns much tighter than he had been at first.  'Breath in, breath out … They're allowed to think your wife is hot, it's when they want to touch that it gets serious … breath in … breath out.'

"Yeah and get paid for it … Hell yeah."  The second one let off a groan and repeated, "Hell yeah." 

'Disgusting pigs.' Rinoa thought in an annoyed fashion.  Squall's thoughts went more along the lines of  'I'm going to find them and kill them.' 

There was some chuckles and then, "Forget it, there ain't no entry to no basement here.  Let's just chill."  At the moment that the trainee agent said that there was a cackle on his radio and through the static the message was quite clear, 'We're getting out now, boys.  Exit.'

"If 'el capitano' says so." One of them joked and the couple in the closet heard the footsteps of the intruders falling away, out of the house.  When he was sure they were gone, Squall burst out from the closet and went straight to the hallway.  Rinoa caught up with him and latched onto his arm.

"Where're you going?" She asked, confused.

"They've found something."

"Like what?"

"Like the basement."

Time seemed to trickle in slow motion as the feeling of dread set in.  As Rinoa saw her parents and Zell clamber down the staircase she had the faint feeling of slipping into oblivion.  She held on to the ramp at the bottom to steady herself, "Is everyone ok?" Julia asked wearily, "We heard a noise and we all went to investigate."

"What do you keep in the garage, Caraway?" Squall asked immediately.

The general stared back, wondering how this question was of any relevance.  The thoughts settled in like dust being layered on abandoned furniture, "Where are the kids?" He returned a question.

Squall's eyes shot wide open though it was as if he already knew, it was all too simple, too ironic.  The extra hatch leading to the basement.  The agents had been called back.  To lure prey into a trap, you need bait.  Ackroyde had his bait.

Rinoa sprung towards the garage and when she saw an open hatch, barely visible, almost unnoticeable, even when it was open.  She jumped down and saw a similar scenario.  Cardboard boxes, a maze of them.  She maneuvered through them and saw Zell's empty bed, the 'kitchen table', she followed through, saw the two doors, entered her own room, then her children's … and saw that her kids were gone.

"SON OF A BITCH!" She cried out, hoping Ackroyde would hear her but not see the tears trickling down her cheeks, "GODDAMN ASSHOLE!"  She turned around and kicked a doorframe and pieces of plaster and wood flew off, leaving a dent.  

Squall was halfway through the maze when he heard his wife's cries.  "Damn it." He cursed and continued on to meet his broken spouse.  It was the third time he'd ever seen her cry and it still felt like the first.  "Why the Hell didn't you tell us there was another entry to this place?" She looked past him to her father.

Caraway didn't answer, he turned away and Julia followed.  Zell looked as if he wanted to utter an excuse, a plea of pardon but knew it wouldn't do much good.

"Squall …" She said weakly, her eyelashes were wet with tears and her eyes refused to meet his, "It hurts so much." Were the only things she was able to say_._   

_"_I know." He hugged her frail body to his and murmured in her ear, "But it'll be alright.  We'll figure something out.  I promise that … that sometime soon, everything'll be ok."

"We're never going to be able to live a normal life without looking over our shoulders constantly waiting for someone to slit our throats or something else, no matter where we go, who we become.  Everything's just screwed up in advance."  
"No, it's not.  It's not because of one little mistake that we won't have a future.  We're going to go there, we're going to get our kids and then we'll … disappear from the agency's line of sight.  We'll lead different lives, everything'll be fine."

"Liar." Rinoa whispered, "Do you really think we'll be able to lead normal lives without a care in the world after all that's happened?  Beyond the dead, the dying, the pain, the killing?"

"Yeah.  I do.  You just got to believe right?  All that crap they told us when we were little kids … just to believe in it."

"Believe in what?" Desperation ran it's course and she felt like the helpless little wife being kept together by her husbands arms, "I just want Alex and Riana back …"

"Just … believe in us.  Believe in … beyond the bloodshed."__

_These wounds won't seem to heal, this pain is just too real.  There's just too much that time cannot erase._

Sabam: Ah yes, don't shoot me.  This chapter was amazingly ass-wrenching, wasn't it?  I'm sorry, but it had to come to pass.  Please review and I promise I won't kill the kids.  *Laughs like a maniac* Joking, joking, don't call the SPCA.  Yes, you heard right … SPCA.  I'm so evil.  Welp, review right?


	24. Chapter TwentyFour

Disclaimer: I do not Final Fantasy VIII … no, not even in the stock market.  Leave me alone.

Chapter Twenty-Four 

"We're going to invade the agency right now." Rinoa was through with exasperation and was ready for revenge, "I don't care if you don't think we should right away, I'm going alone if I have to."

"We're not ready.  The training hasn't been covered and even if it were through there would be no guarantees.  We're not going to go and get ourselves killed." Caraway intervened whilst smoking his pipe thoughtfully.

Rinoa snatched it from him, "Listen old man, this isn't the Wal-Mart reimbursement counter!  My kids are in some strange place with strange people that want to kill them and their entire family.  I'm not just going to let that one run by."

"Ackroyde is using them as bait!  Are you blind?"  Caraway snapped at her, "You will fall into his trap just like he wants you to and when you are in the bind then he will crush you and will kill your children before your very eyes!  Is that what you want?"

"That won't happen!"  Rinoa screamed back at him defiantly and then she turned to Zell, "Whatever he's paying you I'll triple it if you can just get me past the 21st floor."

"We can't afford that Rinoa, that would be three million dollars." Squall interjected as lightly as the situation allowed.

"Three million!" Rinoa repeated incredulously, "Three-fucking-MILLION!"  She turned to her father, "Quite the negotiator aren't you?  God, you're so stupid."  
"It seems to run in the family." Caraway retorted, "Zell, pack your equipment in the van, we're going to the agency.  There, happy?" He looked back at his daughter.  

She literally jumped in his arms and hugged him, "Thank you so much." She whispered, "Thanks … dad."

"Yes well …" Caraway cleared his throat, "Don't let anyone get the impression that we actually get along, that would ruin our reputations entirely."

"Right, sorry." Rinoa redeemed herself.  Both hid a smile.

***

"The base floors one to nine should be a breeze through for you guys.  We've all been in that building and all there is on the first few floors is big marble halls that impress the visitors, mainly government associates."  Zell had made a better-looking chart of the agency floors.  "However, floor ten through twenty might be a little bit scary because that's where Ackroyde trains his goons.  That means there's goin' to be lots of kung-fu doing on these floors, good?" He paused and pointed to the third sector of his map, "Security center … very, very dangerous.  Probably Alex and Riana are being held there since it's top notch there.  No one gets passed unless they're authorized.  Don't just think of taking the elevator.  There's a laser check just passed the 20th floor and it scans for authorization Ids.  So, guess who'll be climbing some steps that haven't been used in over a hundred years?"

"Skip the crap." Rinoa warned, "Or I'll do something painful to you."

Zell cleared his throat uncomfortably, "Well, on the 25th floor … there are the offices.  Pretty girls in short skirts scamper around and prance and this wonderful scenario goes up until the 39th floor."  Squall smirked at the sector between floors 25 to 39.  Rinoa glared at him … his eyes lost their hopeful expression.  Flirting had been judged to be out of the question.

"Is that it?" Rinoa asked, Zell shrugged and nodded his answer, "Beautiful, we set off now."  
"Now?" Zell repeated a little unsure.

"Now."  
"But …"

"NOW!"

"Yes ma'am." Zell whimpered, frightened.

The preparations were made quickly without hesitation.  Weapons were loaded and equipped, checked and graded.  Zell's precious computers were charged, and delicately set up in the van so they could always be of instant use.  Besides that … skill was the only thing they could count on.  Not even Hyne could follow them now.

***

The agency was a towering skyscraper.  Its façade was of beautiful, white marble.  The front doors were rotating with golden frames and handle bars that you pushed to make it glide on its axis.  To the naked eye, the building looked like a vault to heaven.  Rinoa knew that it was the very essence of Hell, the most sinister of places to be caught in … especially if you were the enemy.

They parked a block away in the business district of Deling city.  Many people were on the street, they crowded the sidewalks, going in and out of desired amusement places, bars, boutiques, cinemas and the odd restaurant.  The more people that were out, the more homeless hung piteously around, holding their hats upside down and hoping for a gil or two from those who had much to spare.

Streetlights glimmered in the never sleeping city; couples walked hand in hand, itinerants begged, drunkards raved.  Everything was as it should be in the streets of Deling.  No one saw the four figures, slink their way into the dirty alleys, stealthily heading west towards the mysteriously striking white building.  No one knew of what went on there and of what purpose it was.  They assumed it to be a government building, a luxurious palace of congressmen that talked and counseled with each other on how to screw the working people.  Tax hikes and whatnot.  Their assumptions were close … and yet so far from the real thing.

Squall pushed through the entrance and looked around.  Nothing had changed.  There were still those cushioned benches, enveloped in red velvet for the waiting parties.  The clock with golden, ticking hands still read the time, set to the precise second.  Stan was still sleeping in his security cubicle, over a cup of black coffee and a box of doughnuts.  "Stan." Squall called out, "Stan!"

The chubby security guard jerked away and looked about for the culprit who had wakened him.  As he saw Agent Leonheart, his eyes widened, "What-what're you doing here?"

"How're the wife and kids?" Squall asked casually, temporarily ignoring the fear that was written against his old acquaintance's face. 

"They're-they're … ok." The larger man stuttered his speech and took in quick, shallow breaths of air.  Should he ring the rest of security?  That was what he was assigned to do, but this was Squall Leonheart, an old friend with a charming wife and cute kids.  

"Well, that's nice.  Because my wife's in hysterics and my kids are upstairs." Squall informed with an even voice.

"Upstairs where?" Stan gaped slightly.

"Upstairs here."  Squall answered, "Do me a favor … I don't want to hurt you, friend."  He slipped three identification cards on the marble counter and waited while Stan examined them, "Most likely four out of four of those cards have been deactivated.  Reactivate them in the central security computer.    
"I can't do that." Stan gave Squall the cards back.

Squall bit his lip, "Then I'll have to do it myself.  Sorry, friend." A swift knock to the nape of the man's neck knocked him out cold; Squall entered the cubicle and pushed away Stan.  "What am I supposed to do?"  Squall spoke into a little microphone on the cuff of his jacket sleeve.

A short half hour later, the identity cards could be swiped and recognized by the central computer.  "You guys can take the elevator up to the fifteenth floor." Zell's voice cackled in Squall's earpiece, "Rinoa, Caraway and Julia … you guys can go in now."

"Why only the 15th floor?" Squall seemed disappointed.  All that computer talk for half an hour and the pressure weighing on him that he may get caught.  And the reward was a trip in an elevator to the 15th floor of a forty-story building?

"Your cards are recognized by the central computer, that means it doesn't think that you guys are foreign.  But that doesn't mean that it approves of your presence.  The high tech security system that starts on the 20th floor sends the alarm ringing if it doesn't pick up approved cards.  Christ man, you should know that."

"So why can't we go up till the 19th floor and get off there?" Squall asked and he saw Rinoa, Julia and Caraway enter through the doors.

"Because I only found one way of reaching the stairs on the fifteenth floor."

"Three million dollars." Squall rolled his eyes, "You're worth .5% of that."

"Thanks, always nice to know I'm appreciated." Zell cut off connection.

"Great, he's pissed at me." Squall groaned, informing the newcomers.

"What is this, The Jerry Springer Show?" Rinoa asked in a very annoyed fashion, "I don't give a crap!  Let's get this over with!"  Rinoa walked past the security desk and pressed the 'Up' button that drew the elevator down to the main floor.  The silver doors swung open revealing a beautiful elevator.

Rinoa pressed the floor fifteen and held the doors until everyone was in.  The doors glided back into place and the four people felt the slight gravitation shift.  They were dinged on the fifteenth floor and the doors opened.  They stepped out and Zell cackled from the van a block away in their ears, "Right." He directed.

Unlucky as they were, they walked right into Jennifer, the secretary of a secretary.  "Squall?  Rinoa?"  She dropped her folders as she stood to gape at them both, remembering the strict Ackroyde had given the employees about them. 

"You scream and I'll rip out your vocal cords and fulfill a longtime fantasy of mine." Rinoa hissed a threat through clenched teeth.  Jennifer whimpered with fear clouding her pretty eyes, "There are stairs on this floor, since our technician is upset at us you will lead us to them."

"But I don't know what-"

"Bullshit."  Rinoa cut off abruptly.  Squall stood back with Caraway and Julia, letting Rinoa handle this one.  Their heads would have probably been blown off had they tried to intervene.  "Now go!"

Jennifer's long strides seemed longer and faster as she practically ran for the door that was hidden among the floor.  She led them through deserted hallways in between large gyms that held over a hundred trainees each.  Their luck improved; they met no one.

 "There is no handle on the door and you have to pull it out.  Since it has an automatic shut motion you can't get it open from here.  Don't ask me how because I have no clue."

"Fucking blondes." Rinoa snapped at her.

"Keep your bitch on a leash!" Jennifer screeched at Squall who stood by indifferently.  "Whatever, you guys are all going to die!"  And she tried to run back down the hallway but Squall grabbed her forearm tightly, "Stop … you're … hurting me!"

"Sound the alarm and you'll join us." He warned, his cold blue eyes boring into hers, "Do you understand?"  
She wrenched free, giving him one last glare and ran down the opposite way.  "How're we supposed to open this 'door'?"  Julia felt the edges of the camouflaged door.

"Ventilation system."  Caraway answered and he kneeled down a vent and gripped its edges.  He ripped off the iron grid and signaled to his daughter, "You're the only one who'll fit in this."

"I thought I was chunky and slow." She declared, referring to the events of the previous day.  Though when he rolled his eyes and signaled the vent once more she kneeled down a crawled in.  It was tight but she fit.  The cool metal of the vent pressed on her hands and knees and soon the vent shot up.  She stood up and reached for the top of the tunnel.  She gripped on hard and hoisted herself while muttering, "Giving birth to two kids … I'm too old for this." 

She followed the tunnel that stood horizontal now.  Finally, she peered down a vent and saw stairs.  Kicking the grid, Rinoa jumped down and rolled down a few steps as a landing, "Ass-wrenching pain." She mumbled and rubbed her shoulder.  There was a white door, she knocked on it.

"Rinoa?"  The voice was muffled through the insulin and the wall.

"Yeah."  She pushed the door hard, it was stuck.  It just wouldn't open!

"Rinoa, are you ok?"  Squall asked from the other side, moving in towards the door.  
"This goddamn thing won't open!" She body-slammed it and it jerked open, smashing Squall in the face, "Oh, shit!  I'm so sorry!"  She touched his arm, "Did I break your nose?"  
"No … but close."  Squall rubbed his nose and his cheekbones, "Let's go."

They took steps two at a time and tried to contact Zell, "Where's the next door?  What floor are we at?  Zell, come on, I'm sorry!  Answer, damn it!  Oh come off it already!  Where the Hell are you?"

There was only static to be heard.

Sabam: Any guesses to where Zell could be?  Traitor or not?  Hm, that ought to give you something to ponder about until the next update.  Please, please, please review.  If I don't get enough feedback this may be my last story as with Written In The Sky.


	25. Chapter TwentyFive

Disclaimer: Still don't own anything.

Chapter Twenty-Five 

"Where is he?" Rinoa asked after climbing the fifth flight of stairs, "How're we supposed to go on like this?  We don't even know where the exit is!  It could be fifteen floors up and where the hell would we be then?"

"Tired of climbing?" Squall asked as he trudged up past her.  His legs were beginning to ache as well but being the prideful man that he was starting to be, he kept his mouth shut.  He was slightly aggravated with the technician and was ready to launch a full assault of swears at his unreliability when they would meet again.  Of course he ignored the fact that it would be a question of 'if they would meet again'.  He was being too optimistic.

"Yes." She breathed, only loud enough for him to hear.  Her father would probably have rolled his eyes and added a smart comment.  A put-down was the last thing she needed.  Her abdomen was beginning to cramp in pain at the cut and she was worried that it had started to bleed again.

"I say we break into that air duct right now." Squall pointed right above them.  "Rinoa can have a look around to approximate our location."

"Fine." Caraway stopped his trajectory up the stairs and pointed to his daughter and then his son-in-law.  "I trust you two'll take care of it."

"Oh yeah, because you know … I'm chunky." Rinoa drawled sarcastically.  She didn't seem to take the fact that her father had insulted her about her weight.  It was wounding and she had vowed to make him pay one of these days.  If there was 'one of these days'.

Rinoa got up onto Squall's shoulders and pulled out the grid that obstructed the vent.  She clambered up into the duct and crawled on her hands and knees.  "Aw, for Christ's salty sake." She mumbled, as the vent seemed to shrink, "If I get stuck … actually, let's not think about that." She thought as she inched her way through.

She peeped down an opening but didn't have time to fully examine.  Something caught her ear, "You'll see, you big bully, when my parents get here they'll beat the crap out of you!  DON'T TOUCH MY SISTER!"

"Listen kid, if ya don't shut up I might have to wipe the floor with you're dead, lifeless body.  So shut your hole!"

"Shut my hole?  So then I don't think you want me to do this … AHHHHHH!"  Alessandro kept screaming and screaming, taking in short breaths.  

"SHUT UP!" A loud bang followed and Rinoa froze.

***

Zell's limp body was sprawled out in the ally near the van.  A trickle of blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.  He didn't move at all.  

Four men dressed in dark denim jeans and jackets explored the contents of the van.  One was hacking his way through Zell's prized computer while another listened to the radio conversation that was going on between the four traitors that were inside the agency.

"They're in the staircase … they're confused on where to go." The husky, olive-skinned trainee declared, "If they keep running around like chickens without a head we could probably go and nail 'em all.  Come on, let's just off them all and get promotions."

"No." The commander of the group replied as he leafed through some documents that the enemy technician had left lying around, "Seifer wants to kill Leonheart painfully and slowly … while he feels his way up Heartilly."

This procured several cruel laughs from the men in the van, "He's got it good, don't he?  Gives the orders, gets the chicks while we're busting our asses on laying out the trap and make sure they blindly fall in." One of them said and finally he heaved his way out of the SUV, "Forget it, I'm reporting back to our royal ass and then I'm going to enjoy myself at some bar drinking myself silly."  
"Amen, bro." The rest followed suite.

When they had steered clear of the vehicle, a cough came from the seeming corpse in the ally.  Zell heaved himself to his feet with the arm that wasn't broken.  He grunted and limped his way to the van and embarked.  He coughed up some blood and groaned in pain.  He dislodged a pistol from under the seat of the SUV.

Without waiting for another moment, Zell trudged back into the ally and followed the footsteps that the group of four traitors had followed short hours ago.  

***

It was minutes before Rinoa dared to move.  She ignored Squall's voice calling her on the static-filled radio.  Tears stung her fearful eyes as she began to crawl again in the directions in which the voices had emerged from.  Only when she got fairly close to the exit of the duct that she was able to hear slight sniffling but other than that it was complete silence.

"Oh God … oh God … please no.  Please no." She thought miserably as she prepared to jump down, smashing her way through the grid blocking the room from the air vent.  The guard heard some noise and looked around.  Sudden anger overcame her as she saw him.  She used to know him … he used to be friends with Squall … they had gone out for drinks together once, "Up here, asshole!" She yelled and kicked through the grid, smashing her foot on his forehead.  He backed away surprised and he drifted into an unconscious world.  
"Mommy!" Riana cried out helplessly, tied to a chair.  Tears streaked her young, chubby cheeks, "Mommy, Alex is hurt!"

"I know, I know." Rinoa was panicking at this point.  She had seen bullet wounds before on her father, her mother, her husband.  She had even suffered them herself however seeing one on her child took away the experience she had acquired on them.  "Oh God … Alex …"  

The boy was crying from pain but whimpered in relief at the sight of his mother.  Comfort had come to him.  The wound in his arm didn't seem to hurt as much, though the burning hole still stung as nothing he had felt before, "Ok, ok …" Rinoa mumbled incoherently, "Ok!" She seized herself just before she was about to blackout.  Rinoa untied Alex and then Riana from the chairs.  Rinoa cradled her son into her arms and spoke softly, "It'll be ok … I promise." Ignoring the fact that she was ready to break down into uncontrollable sobs, she observed the wound.

"Mommy …" Riana tried to warn; however it was too late.  Rinoa felt a shadow over them.  

"Up here, bitch." The guard hissed vehemently as he aimed a gun.

Rinoa did not dare to move.  Any mistake on her part would take toll on her children and she had enough to be forgiven by them.  She breathed deeply, unable to disregard Alex's violent shaking and his sobs.  "Please don't shoot." The plea escaped her lips.

"Oh come on!" There was a snide laugh, "I wouldn't do that … Almasy says he's still got use for you.  I can only guess what that 'use' is.  Your little hubby, however, isn't going to have your luck."  
"I thought you used to be friends." Rinoa replied as coolly as the fierce emotions stirred within her.

"I thought you and Quistis used to be friends." The guard laughed, "These last few years have proved us otherwise."

"She's dead." The guard was silent and Rinoa could picture the shocked expression on his face, "I don't like to keep close with those who are gone …"

"You killed her."

"You could say that." Rinoa stated bluntly, "I killed her seven years ago."

"Yeah … that's true, you did." Cain, the guard, accused, "You're the one who completely ruined her … it's all your fault, because of your goddamn mistake-"

"That's right, _my_ mistake.  It was _my_ weakness, _my_ stupidity, _my_ feelings that killed her.  My son, however, had nothing to do with it!" She snapped, refusing to face Cain.

"Cause and effect, sweetheart.  Cause and effect." Cain drawled out, "Your mistake takes its toll on your kids and it's still _your_ fault and it will always be _your _fault.  _Your _past, _your_ mistakes will continue to haunt you for the rest of your goddamn-" A loud smacking sound was heard and Rinoa heard Cain's body hit the floor.

"You goddamn listen and reply when I'm talking to you on the radio!  Don't ever do that to me again!" She felt like crying in relief as the familiar voice washed over her like warm, shower water.  "Now what-" Squall cut short as he saw his kids.  His gratefulness for their safety was reduced when he spotted Alex, "Holy shit."

He kneeled down towards his injured boy and looked over the wound.  Squall kept his composure, unlike Rinoa who was whimpering softly as though she was in more pain than her son, "We're going to finish up this business and then we're gonna get the Hell out of here.  Really far away …" Squall concluded briefly. 

"Where're my parents?" Rinoa asked numbly, her eyes unable to leave her weak son.

"Exploring more of the floor … Zell still hasn't replied.  We're taking him to the infirmary." Squall picked him up off the floor in his arms and walked over the guard's body and out into the hallway.  Rinoa scooped up Riana and carried her out as well. 

"What floor are we on?" Rinoa asked, worriedly.  She used to know this building like the back of her hand however the years and the present panic made her memory vanish in thin air. 

"Probably the 20th floor.  The infirmary is east of the elevator, down a hall way." Squall replied and headed west.  Their journey wasn't obstructed with enemies so their trajectory went along smoothly.  Rinoa sighed in relief when they found the elevator.  They began to head east, down a corridor and soon came upon two, white double doors.  Squall pushed his way through, "Heal him, now." Were his only words to the surprised Dr. Kadowaki.  

"Oh my goodness …" She leaped away from Agent Leonheat who only glared at her, "You aren't supposed to be here!"

Rinoa cut in before Squall, "You're right and we'd like to leave as soon as possible.  Just please-"

"We go where we want to, lady!  Just do what we say-"

"And we'll leave here as soon as he's better!" Rinoa yelled over Squall's voice.  Her husband glared at her and she ignored him.  "Just please …"

Dr. Kadowaki looked at Rinoa sadly.  'Such a lovely young lady, back then and even now.  So young … I wonder if … I wonder if she'll ever get to be truly happy.' Thought the doctor sympathetically, "Take him into the operation room.  I believe the bullet is still in the wound.  We'll have him stitched up in no time."

"Thank you." Rinoa breathed in relief, "Thank you so much."

Sabam: Some of you are lazy sons of bitches and I will soon go on strike.  Review or not, I don't give anymore.  If I don't feel like it, I won't update next week.


	26. Chapter TwentySix

Disclaimer: I have yet to own FF8.

****

Chapter Twenty-Six 

Caraway and Julia moved stealthily along the hallway, glancing at every corner for the occasional security camera.  They had been lucky on their trek so far as no alarms were raised and they met no opponent that had placed an actual threat.  

Unfortunately for them, they had been too cocky.  They had forgotten one of the most important rules of warfare.  Never turn your _back_ on your enemy.  They had not seen the shadows that kept reappearing a few steps behind them.  They had not paid attention to the soft footsteps that trailed after them.

James Caraway, son of Alessandro Caraway, one of the best agents that had ever walked these halls, stopped short as he reached the elevator, "Shall we just go up and wait for them further on?" He turned to his wife and raised an eyebrow at her curious expression.  Her eyes were glazed with fear and he was about to find out why.

"I think you should stay here.  We've made accommodations for the great agent Caraway."  James turned on his heel to face Seifer Almasy.  

***

"He'll be just fine … it's not a serious wound." The doctor informed the anxious mother who had not left her son's side, wincing as the doctor gave the young boy stitches.  It seemed to be paining her more than it was hurting him.

The silent Squall leaned on the wall, opposite to the doctor, observing the scene with bitter eyes.  His daughter had latched herself onto his pant leg, frightened at the world around her.  She whispered to him quietly in fear of angering him, "Daddy … daddy, is Alex going to be ok?"

His eyes fell to his fragile child and he picked her up into his arms, "Yeah, he'll be ok." His gaze softened and he mustered a tiny smile, "Are you ok?" The girl nodded her head, "I'm sorry … we'll go some place far away after this is over.  You won't have to worry about anything ever again.  I promise."

"It's alright, you know.  Grand-pa said that … that whatever doesn't kill you will only make you stronger."  She tilted her head to the side a bit, looking at her father's unnaturally glazed eyes.

'So let's hope it doesn't kill us.' Squall thought, his eyes welling with involuntary tears.

***

"You know, I don't think I've ever told you how much respect I hold for you, have I, Mr. Caraway?" Seifer asked sarcastically as Caraway and his wife were being tied up.  They sat in a small room with only four chairs and a table.  Two guards stood at the door.

"Well, no you haven't but I can just guess by the hospitality that you're a fan." The older man answered, equally as sarcastic, "Either way, could you get me some tea?  I'm rather thirsty after all the bustle."  
Seifer grinned sardonically, "When I need to piss, I promise that your tea'll be fucking served."  Caraway raised an eyebrow and decided not to respond to the last comment.  "So … how's the family?" He smirked and turned to Julia, "You've met me before, huh?  Save for business, we've seen each other before." Julia could only glare in reply.

"Oh, why am I not surprised?  Julia always finds out about these things _way_ before I do." Caraway drawled out his conclusion sarcastically, "My daughter picks her boyfriends so intelligently, it's incredible really.  But I guess it improves each time, at least Leonheart is mildly sane."

"Yeah, part-asshole, part-dumbass.  I can see how her tastes improved." Seifer snapped back, "But don't get me wrong.  This isn't my little 'revenge' session.  Rinoa … she was great.  Honestly, I know this is completely psycho to tell you this, since you are her father, but she was something incredible."

"Great.  I honestly needed to know that." Caraway rolled his eyes as his ankles were tied down to the legs of the chair, "Maybe now you can inform me of some other unnecessary, disturbing information?"

"If I think of other things, and they will surely come to me, I'll be sure to tell you." Seifer rapped his knuckles lightly on the table, "Well, I got to go now.  Off to drag Rinoa and Squally here.  That is, if I can keep from killing Leonheart." He turned on his heel and left the two to their demons.

"WHY THE HELL DO YOU NEVER TELL ME OF RINOA'S PSYCHOTIC BOYFRIENDS?" Caraway yelled across to his wife angrily, "This is getting stupid!  For how long has she been dating for?  You knew of this, I know it!"  
"Oh, get over it, James!  She started dating at fourteen!  She's come one Hell of a long way, I just never told you because you'd probably kill the poor boys!" Julia snapped back.

"Had I killed them, we wouldn't be tied up here, would we?" Caraway retorted, flaming with hot anger, "See!  It's all your fault!  Had you put a leash on her, maybe I wouldn't have to deal with Leonheart all the time!  That's all pre-martial sex gives you … trouble!"  
"You're one to speak!" Julia bit back, "You were a freaking MANWHORE at seventeen!  I don't even know why I fell for you in the first place!  You were such a dumbass!  I can't believed I married you!  AND THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE WAY OUR DAUGHTER WAS RAISED!"

"We will never agree so why don't you just drop it!" Caraway answered in desperation to shut up his wife's tyrannous yells.

***

Zell staggered down the hallways, aimlessly trying to find them.  It was useless.  The building had extensive floors … sixty of them.  They could be anywhere, they could be dead.  This was in vain.  He crumpled down a wall, leaving a trail of blood.  He wiped his lip and groaned in utter discomfort.

"You look like you need the infirmary, my friend." Zell looked up at the potential opponent.  His eyes blurred and he was unable to tell who it was, "Mr. Caraway?" He half-guessed, half-hoped.

"Yes.  That's right." The man was wearing a business suit with a perfectly straight tie.  His beard was grayish-white, his hair was salt and pepper and a big bald spot covered most of his head, "Come on, help yourself up … let's get you some medical attention."

"When did you have chance to change clothes?" Zell asked, still believing that this man was his employer.  
"Well, I changed this morning from my pajamas into my suit." The man replied, slightly amused, "I think you've mistaken me but I judge it better this way.  Have you got enough sense left in you to listen what I have to say?" The man held Zell up and focused his eyes slightly, "Do you?"

Zell nodded slightly, feeling better with the support, "You aren't Caraway."

"That entirely depends on perspective." The old man smiled, "It's been a while since I've seen James.  I hope he's not giving Rinoa too much trouble.  Wait, what am I saying?  I feel more pity for Leonheart more than anyone else.  If anyone's getting Hell, it's him.  And poor Julia … I don't understand that woman's patience."

"How do you know all of this?" Zell asked, wearily.  
The man ignored the question and continued on, "I never even got to see Rinny's baby.  I don't even know what his name is." He sighed, "I think that'll be the first thing I'll ask him.  She did have a boy, correct?"

"And a girl." Zell replied, more bemused as each second passed.  
"Damn, I can see why James is pissed off at Squall.  I'm going to beat the shit out of that guy as soon as I get a hold of him." The man grumbled angrily, "Well … I assume that it doesn't matter … if they love each other.  He does … love her, doesn't he?"

"More than anything.  I'm not allowed to go near her." Zell was slipping into a drunken state caused by severe blood loss.  
The old man chuckled, "You're here dying while I'm rambling on about my regrets!  Dear me, let's get you to the infirmary quickly!"

"Wait … I don't trust you." Zell managed to slur his words out, "Who the hell are you?  Why're you helping me?"

"Me?" The old man began to walk Zell down the hallway, "My name's Alessandro Caraway."

Sabam: SHOCK, GASP … So Rinny's grand-pa ISN'T REALLY DEAD!  OH MY GOD, I'M SO FUCKING ORIGINAL!  Anyways … Believe it or not, I AM ALIVE!  And well, I've just finished exams.  This fanfic WILL BE finished before January 6th.  I PROMISE.  So read and review or I'll find you and … make you feel … ass-wrenching PAIN!


	27. Chapter TwentySeven

Disclaimer: I asked for SquareEnix for Christmas and told Santa I had been good.  Unfortunately, he died laughing, so sorry … I don't think I'll own FF8 soon.

Chapter Twenty-Seven 

****

Alessandro had been stitched to the best of the doctor's ability.  The young boy jumped off the table which he had been sitting on and stated, "I'm ok now, really." He looked up at his mother who was about to burst into hysterical sobs.  She kept her cool, however.

"Thank you very much." She thanked the doctor repeatedly and Kadowaki pleaded that it was no trouble.  Squall bit his tongue so not to say anything rash.  He had never liked the doctor, and he had never really found out why.  She just seemed to be judging him, as a boy, as a man.  He led Riana out of the infirmary.

"Be careful." He heard the doctor caution his wife and his frown deepened.  She had always treated them as children, never as grown adults who could assume their responsibilities and know when to take precautions. "You too, Squall.  I'm sure it's necessary to remind _you_ to cut down on the risks." The last part came out icily.

"I'm sure I'll be fine." He answered coldly, barely turning around to face her, "I'm twenty-five … I believe that's way past the certified adult age."

"Well, as comforting as those words are supposed to be … they fail at their purpose.  Though you're considered an adult within government law but you're still a child in my eyes." The doctor walked them to the doors.  Squall was going to bite back with hot anger but Rinoa urged him on, once again telling the doctor how much she appreciated her services.  Kadowaki wished them luck and closed the infirmary doors.

Squall grumbled a while as they strode down towards the elevator while Rinoa rolled her eyes behind him, "Squall, where're we going?" She asked, noticing the way they were going.

"Straight up to Ackroyde's office, I'm tired of this wandering around aimlessly and what's the use of even trying to find Zell." Squall replied.  Rinoa grabbed his shoulder angrily and dug her nails in, "Gah!" Squall howled in pain.

"Thou shalt not do anything without thy precious wife's consent!" She snapped at him angrily, "First commandment that you swore to abide by when you married me!  Don't you remember?"

"I'm not sure, jog my memory, what was the second one?" He asked sarcastically, trying to pry her hand loose.  
"Thou shalt obey her every sacred order!" Rinoa informed him, "Memory refreshed?  Good, then I think we should sit and talk about this some more!" 

"Oh sure!  Let's sit in our enemy's hallway and have a little chat you and I!" Squall rolled his eyes sarcastically as the two children looked on, wide-eyed.  They were used to this but still quite surprised that it was happening under the certain circumstances.

"Mom, dad's right …" Alex put in meekly and Squall pointed at his son triumphantly.

Before he could make a comment on his boy's sheer amount of genius, Rinoa spoke up, "Alex, honey, when you get married, you'll learn that you're wife is _always_ right.  Ok?  Don't argue with her … but especially, don't argue with your mother.  Under _NO_ exceptions, is your _mother _wrong!" Alex just nodded in agreement.

"Unless, _unless_ … you're mother was raised by a crazy mofo such as your grand-father … THEN, it's ok to think she's wrong most of the time like when she suggests irrational things … like having a heart-to-heart on enemy fields.  THEN, it's those Caraway chromosomes kicking in."

"Why don't I shove your head up through your-" Rinoa cut herself off, remembering her children's presence, "Ok, you know … forget it!  I'm arguing with a 'class A' dumbass!  It's useless!  Fine!  Whatever!  Might as well talk to Ackroyde, at least he's more intelligent and understands English.  I'll think twice before marrying an Estharian again."

"What the Hell is that supposed to mean?  What's 'again' insinuating?" Squall glared at her hotly.

"It's insinuating that next time, I'll get a nice Galbadian guy.  With dark eyes, dark hair." She sighed, just to feed his anger and flipped her hair dreamily as her eyes gazed at the ceiling.

"Oh, you're really starting to push my buttons!" Squall snapped.  Riana and Alessandro just watched the ongoing tennis match between their two parents.

"Well, I think we've wasted enough time here." Rinoa looked at her watch and tapped its frame as a signal that time wasn't waiting for them.

"You're the one who wanted to sit here while I 'got your consent'!" Squall pointed out, angrier than ever.

"Yes, but it clearly looks as though you aren't going to, so … I'd like to leave this place soon.  It's making me very uncomfortable.  Let's go!" Rinoa rushed him on.  The children followed, still slightly awed at the fact that their parents had actually ensued an argument in dangerous waters.

***

Mr. Caraway and his wife were also going at it, "AND TO THINK YOU ACTUALLY ENCOURAGED IT!" He raged at the top of his lungs.  The guard that was on duty at the door came into the room, looking quite annoyed.

He managed out calmly, "Listen, you guys can catch up on old times or tear yourselves apart for all I care but could you turn it down a notch?  We're going deaf outside."

Caraway turned his head towards the guard, almost frothing at the mouth in anger and managed to hiss out, "You, my pathetic little friend, can go to Hell!" The guard  rolled his eyes and left the room.

Julia couldn't help roll her eyes in utter frustration, "Come off it, James!  The girl is old enough, let her do what she wants to do!  She was never as naïve as you'd thought she was!  This is completely ridiculous.  Just shut up!  She's married now, for Christ's salty sake!"

"Yes, and look!  You know what I've _just_ come to the realization?" He didn't wait for her to answer, "That she has _two_ children!  Do you know what _that_ means?  It means that she's had sex with Leonheart _at least twice_!"  

Julia rolled her eyes and groaned in utter annoyance, "And that's not counting the times that fertilization _didn't _take place.  You know, if Rinoa knew we were talking about her private life, I'm sure she wouldn't appreciate." She only added gasoline to the fire.

"I DON'T CARE!" Roared Caraway, "I'm her father and I feel damn well insulted that she never tells me any goddamned thing!"

"Hm … gee, I wonder why that could be." Julia snapped sarcastically.

"Well, it's not as if I over-react!" Caraway claimed.

"Noo … of course not." Julia rolled her eyes and continued listening to her husband's incessant ranting.

***

The family of four had rung the elevator and were now awaiting for a miracle, "Good job, Squall … so how were you expecting to get up there again?"   
"My digital fingerprints still work, look …" Squall was about to press his thumb onto the black square used as a security device for Ackroyde's office.  If the computer recognized the digitals, access would be granted to the head honcho's quarters.

Rinoa slapped his hand away just in time, "You idiot!  You think they'd just leave your prints in the system after you turned Ackroyde's proposition down?  Like it or not, Squall, you're a wanted man and I doubt they'd keep your prints in there just for fun.  It won't work … or worse, it'll set off a bomb or some sort of contraption that pries out your insides." Riana began to whimper, "Sorry, it's to make daddy understand." Rinoa replied, regretting her words a bit.

"It's going to work, Rinoa … stop being a paranoiac!" Squall snapped back and applied his thumb onto the reading square.  The green 'Certified' button lit up and he smiled at his wife triumphantly as he pressed for the 60th floor.  

"It's too easy … something's wrong." Rinoa's eyes sparked deep fear, "It's not possible Squall, they aren't that stupid, they're not!  Squall!" He looked at her as if she was psycho.

"What's wrong with you?  Something's finally going right!" He answered her, getting a bit frustrated.

"HOW COULD YOU HAVE BEEN SUCH A MORON?" Rinoa screamed back and she had a reason to be.  Alex let off a moan and dropped limp to the floor, it wasn't long until Riana followed suite.  

Rinoa felt her muscles relax, her eyelids droop and her legs seemed to turn to jello.  She was unconscious before she hit the floor.  Squall fought against the overwhelming urge to just meet the ground, "That's right, Leonhart … how could you have been such a moron?" It was the last thing he heard.

Sabam: *Big smile* Review. *Smile lingers* Or I'll break your face.


	28. Chapter TwentyEight

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII, blah, blah, blah …

Chapter Twenty-Eight 

Rinoa 'awakened' forty minutes after being exposed to the dangerous gas.  Straightaway, she panicked.  Her eyelids would not obey her attempts to open her eyes, her fingers were numb and would not pry the cord that withheld her wrists, and her legs felt as if they had been turned to marshmallows.  She could barely feel the chair beneath her.

She tried to call for help, to call for Squall but her lips couldn't move.  She was a prisoner of her own body.  It was long minutes away until she was able to twitch her fingers a bit, move around her toes in her shoes.  It was an hour before she gained speech and was able to open her eyes completely, "Squall?" She called out in the darkness of the room.

"Nope." A light switch flicked on and fluorescent lights blinded her.  Her eyes adjusted slowly as she squinted in the immense brightness.  Seifer pulled up a chair right in front of hers, "Been a while, hasn't it, Rin?"

"I don't know, has it?  Sure wish it was a while more though." Rinoa snapped up smartly.  Of all the people that could have been at her wake, he was the one.  He was always the one.  The shadow in the background of the morgue, the unsuspecting predator that desired to devour her whole and to cause her grief, pain, whatever he could.

Seifer smirked; the same smirk that she had once fell for.  It was incredible how that same smirk made her sick to her stomach today, "Ah well, things don't always turn out.  I can't really do much about it …"

"Sure you can.  You can start by getting the fuck out of my face." She drawled, a little too venomously, a little too spiteful.  His hand slammed onto her jaw, sending her head to the right.  She cringed in pain but left no sense of accomplishment for Seifer to feed on.  

"I don't think you're in a good position to be a smart-aleck." Seifer warned amicably, "But I suppose I won't change you.  I don't think anyone ever will.  You are so rooted that I don't think it's even possible to alter you in any way, shape or form."

"Why thank you, I'll take that as a compliment." She answered sarcastically.

"See what I mean?  Can't be tamed.  Sometimes, Rin … that's a bad thing." He cupped her chin and made her look up to him, "Sometimes … that can get you hurt!" He punched her other cheek boldly, out of the palm of his hand.

"Ow, Christ!" Rinoa hissed, weathering the throbbing, trying her hardest to hide her physical weakness, "Do you have to hit so hard?  I don't mean to sound like a narcissist but I like my face without the odd bruise here and there."

Seifer ignored her and leaned back in his chair, "Let's have a chat, you and I.  It's been a while that I've wanted to do that.  Been a long while …" He stared her down with those piercing green eyes that had once made her legs weaken.  They still did, but not for the same reasons.

"Ok, let's 'chat'!" Rinoa agreed indifferently, "So where'd you put my boyfriend?" She asked casually, almost as if she didn't really care at all.  Her apathy surprised him, as did the reference to her 'boyfriend'. 

"Your boyfriend?  Last time I checked you were tied in holy matrimony." Seifer dodged the question slyly with a sarcastic drawl.

"Oh, we are.  But come on, Seifer, I'm twenty-four.  I need some adventure to keep my eyes open.  Squall and I like to forget about the rings on our fingers and just be." She was about to add in another comment but to avoid the slap that would probably follow, she remained silent.

"Couple exchanges?" Seifer hypothesized openly, playing with a switchblade.

"Did I make it sound like that?" Rinoa asked surprised, "Sorry, no.  None of that.  Actually, I wasn't even referring to that at all."

"Oh, sorry, I assumed." Seifer smirked again, apologetically.

"Yeah.  So where did you put him?" Rinoa asked, yet again, beginning to lose her mask of uncaring.

"Don't you want to know about your children first?" Seifer dodged the question yet again, and scored a goal of his own.  Her face remained stoic, to his great annoyance.

"I know you didn't hurt my kids, Seifer." She replied coolly, confidently, "However, I'm sure you did _something_ to Squall.  What is it?  Dismemberment?  Gang-up?  Where is he?"

"So you're sure that I took advantage of your weakened boyfriend and did _something _that is _harmful_ to his health?" Seifer asked smugly, flipping the switchblade.

"Absolutely positive." She answered without the slightest amount of visible fear in her eyes.  

Caught off guard, Seifer stared at her for a while, "So … you're positive that I'm monstrous enough to give your Squally another scar but not yet monstrous enough to slit the throat of your kids?"  
"That would be correct." Rinoa locked her eyes in his, "And why do I think that?  Because of something called 'love'.  You can't kill me, can you Seifer?  You can't bring yourself to just blow my head off, or else I'd already be gone.  You can't forgive Squall … but you _can_ forgive me.  You're just a sad little boy that can't let go of high school years.  Remember, you told me love was a weakness.  Well, I guess in your case, you were right.  And that's why you won't touch a hair on my children's head … you want to hurt me, but you're too much of a pussy to go all the way." For a moment, she feared another good hit in the head but Seifer just leaned back in the chair silently.

He didn't look at her directly for a moment and then spoke up, doing his best to mask himself with indifference, "So, if we were to assume you were right.  And I said … _assumed_.  What do you think I did with your _boyfriend_?"

"I don't know, Seifer." Rinoa admitted casually, "But I supposed that's why I asked in the first place.  _Because I didn't know_." She added sarcastically, glaring him down.

"You know, for the most part … you're right.  Your little psycho analysis … pretty damn smooth.  You know me well.  Better than I'd have thought you did.  But you're wrong about one thing …" He let his sentence linger for a while and then continued, "I'm not afraid of killing your children.  Squall's blood will one day paint the walls of my apartment, Rin.  Little Alex and Riana … they're Squall's blood." He got up from the chair and walked behind her.

"So, you never answered my question.  _Where's Squall_?" Rinoa asked again, this time more nervously.  She couldn't look at him in the eye anymore, her principle source of defense had been taken away.  _Never turn your back on your enemy_.  But what if you had no choice?

"He's alive and well.  Ok, not exactly _well._" Seifer laughed haughtily and placed his hands on Rinoa's shoulders, "I just added a couple of scars.  We sparred, you know?  He's pretty fucking resilient if you asked me.  I mean, for someone who's half-drugged and out-numbered by five people." Another disgusting, mocking cackle followed.

"Please don't touch me." Her voice said evenly.  In turn, Seifer bent down and kissed her lightly on the neck.  She groaned in discomfort but could not pull away, "You didn't hear me, did you?"  
"Loud and clear, baby, loud and clear." Seifer smirked against her neck, "You know, I've got a couple of things I'd like to do."

"Great." She spat out sarcastically, "Just fucking great!  Will you stop?  That's annoying." Had she the use of her hands, she would have taken anything sharp and impaled him with it.  Her skin crawled with goose bumps at the mere thought that he was touching her.

"You know … I could let you go." Seifer said tauntingly, "_You _can end your trip in Hell, right here, right now, Rin.  Don't you see?  Your entourage is weighing you down; you're being prosecuted because of your family.  Isn't that a bitch?  Don't you just want it to fucking stop?"

"Yeah, I really do!" She felt his hands on her hips, "Seifer, I swear if you don't get your hands off me, you'll regret it later!" She warned angrily.

"Oh yeah?  What're you going to do?" He taunted mockingly and his hands descended a bit.  She whipped her head to the left to face him.  He was about to kiss her neck again.  He grinned at her, "You don't look very happy." Fire blazed in her usually calm eyes.  
"If you do not remove your hands _now_, I will have no pity for you when the time comes." She warned in vain, "And they have a name for this.  It's called rape, so I'd suggest letting go."  
"Rape?  Listen, my fly isn't down, your shirt isn't open.  Don't fucking shit around with rape, Rinoa." Seifer joked and went back to the front of the chair to face her, "Do you know what I think?"

"The appropriate question is 'Do I care?'" She correct maliciously, staring him down.

He ignored her completely, "I think … that it would be great idea to play truth or dare."  
"I dare you to set your pants on fire." She snapped, her impatience going in a crescendo, "And then to jump over a bridge into ice cold water where you'll freeze to death."

Once again, he ignored her, "Truth.  Does Squally perform better than me in bed?"  
"Yes, as a matter a fact he does." She had never taken the time to compare and she wouldn't have cared either or, however, just to spite him, she replied in favor of her husband.

"Oh, that hits hard." Seifer faked a hurt expression, "Dare.  Change your mind right now."  
"How the Hell do you change your own mind?" Rinoa asked, but then regretted her stupidity.  Seifer's smile grew wider.

"Try the experience, one more time."

"Get the fuck away from me, _now_!" Rinoa snapped in his face, her muscles tensed and the cords around her wrists seemed to tighten and cut her skin.

"Sure thing." He took his distanced but returned to the back of the chair where she could not watch over him, "You know … it's disappointing … being rejected for a third time straight.  Not only that, but it gets to your ego." Seifer pulled out his switchblade and flicked it open.    
Upon hearing the click, Rinoa held her breath nervously.  Her nerves became more agitated as she felt him come closer to her.  She felt a gloved hand on hers, "You're beautiful Rinoa.  Every inch of you is perfect.  But your hands … your hands are … well, they _used_ to be amazing.  I'm sorry I sliced your palms.  There's just something about your hands … no matter how many people you've killed … I can't see a single stain of blood on them.  No matter what you do, Rinoa Heartilly … you're still innocent as ever, your hands … they remain clean.  But yet … _they're_ the ones that do the dirty work.  Your fingers pull the trigger, your hand wields the knife … you know what I mean?"

"You're a complete psychopath, Seifer." Rinoa quavered nervously as she felt the tips of his fingers brush against her own.  He had removed his gloves.

"To those who don't understand, I suppose I am." Seifer pressed her palms together with his own hands and held them like that for a moment.  "And the magic trick is …" She felt him remove one hand and in replacement she felt something sharp.  Her eyes widened.  A sharp sting sliced into both her hands, through her already present wounds, "I think it's time you take account for what you've done to me.  Scars are the best way to remind you."  He kissed her on the cheek, closed the lights and left the room.

He had left her, gasping and moaning in wrenching pain.  The cold blade was still in her flesh, she felt the blood dripping off her palms and fingers.  Tears rolled down her cheeks in complete stinging sufferance.  She whimpered and did not move for a moment.  Letting the agony sink in, crying silently.  "Oh God …" She gasped and prayed for strength, for luck, for _anything_.

Finally, resolve overcame her.  No one could possibly chance finding her, wherever she was.  Agony over came her and she let out a cry of anguish as she slowly slid her left hand free from the blade by pressing the other against the hilt of the knife.  More tears came but they weren't important right now.

With her left hand free, she maneuvered her hands around in the tight knot and managed to pull out the blade from her right hand.  She sat, gasping, whimpering, cursing with the knife in her left hand that was shaking uncontrollably.  But she refused to let the switchblade drop.  It was her only chance of escape.

It took minutes filled with torment to slowly saw her way through the thick cords that bound her wrists together.  Her hands had been freed.  Dizziness took hold but she was the stronger party.  She cut the ropes at her ankles and was finally freed from the wretched chair that had held her captive.  

She finally stood and a new emotion washed over her, it burned deeply within her like a massive bonfire that was being fed gallons of gasoline.  An old shadow of her had crept back into her spirit, a reawakening of the dragon.  "I've been calm for way too long.  It's time for a bloodbath." She kicked open the door into the battlefield.

Sabam: MERRY BOXING DAY!  I love you all so now review if you want me to update the next two chapters!  Review, review! *Looks like she's walking away but suddenly pops back up* REVIEW!


	29. Chapter TwentyNine

Disclaimer: I got everything on my list this Christmas except for a digital camera and SquareEnix.  Desormais, Final Fantasy 8 n'est pas en ma possession. (I think my next disclaimer shall be in Spanish!)

Chapter Twenty-Nine 

"We're so screwed." Julia concluded after ten minutes of silence and picking at the cords that were binding their wrists together, "We're done for … if Rinoa and Squall are in the same position that we're in, we might as well just …"

"Your positive outlook on this has made my spirit soar." Caraway drawled sarcastically, "Thank you kindly, my dearest spouse." He continued to wriggle his wrists.  It was becoming a painful task as the cord was cutting into his flesh, but still he persevered.

"Oh, shut up!" Julia snapped suddenly and glared at him, "I'm so sick of hearing you, it's incredible!  Before your hands _fall off_ stop moving around and sit still!  We aren't getting out this way, _if we do get out at all_." Caraway glared back and no words were needed to communicate the anger that was coursing through each other's eyes.

***

Zell and 'Mr. Caraway' took an elevator to the 20th floor of the agency in mutual silence.  Zell was too dizzy to speak of anything coherent and 'Mr. Caraway' was too deeply engrossed in his thoughts.  Upon reaching the floor of the famous infirmary, Alessandro Caraway helped Zell down the endless hallways to the Dr. Kadowaki.

"It's a busy day …" Heaved the doctor, rubbing her temples sorrowfully, "He's in a pretty bad shape.  This may take a while." She took Zell to a more secluded room and began to mend his cuts.  She couldn't do something instantaneous about his arm but she did wrap it and put it in an arm sling so he could injure it no further.

"Your grand-daughter was so kind as to drop me a visit." The doctor informed Caraway whilst cleaning a bullet wound in Zell's arm, "She's turned into a beautiful woman … a good mother.  Her son had gotten hurt, you see." Dr. Kadowaki shot a glance at the older man who encouraged her to go on, "Squall is … trying to meet her expectations.  Very hard." The doctor smiled and shook her head, "He's failing miserably.  But … I think there is a glimpse of a potential man in him.  He's on his way to becoming … I suppose.  They both deserve better than what they're about to face."

"Freedom has a costly price." Caraway replied thoughtfully, "Then again, one error should not rob one's future entirely.  They've dealt well with the unjust consequences.  Now it's time to end all this.  It's time that they had a real life."

"I suppose not everything had been peaches and cream for them …" Dr. Kadowaki put in.

Zell interrupted them both boldly; "It hasn't been peaches and cream for me either.  Living with them's been Hell.  Leonheart who won't stop glaring at me, I must've received _more_ than five hundred death threats from that grand-daughter of your's who you seem to think so highly of." Caraway chuckled good-naturedly and waved away Zell's complaints.  The doctor shook her head laughing.

"Don't be so quick to judge her.  You haven't known her that long.  She becomes much more audacious and violent when she knows you well." Caraway winked, "I'm sure James could identify with what I'm talking about."

"So could Leonheart." Zell replied piteous of poor Squall who's endurance must be unmatched.

***

Squall's endurance must have gone unmatched, Zell was right to make that statement.  He was enclosed in a miniature prison, right after being beaten by Seifer.  His bruises pained him, his cuts were still fresh and bleeding and the tormenting thought gnawed at his spirit, leaving it crushed.  The thought that he could do nothing to save his wife or children now.  The thought that his stupidities had taken toll on his beloved.

A clang was heard and the guard came tumbling down the stairs near his cell.  "Ah!" He screamed in horror and got back on his feet shakily.  Squall became slightly intrigued as he heard the footsteps slowly echo in the staircase.  The fluorescent lights began to give him a head ache so he looked away for a split second. 

He swung his legs off the bed and shot to the guard, "Who was it?" The guard just stared back fearfully and shook his head 'no'.  Squall's eyebrow arched.  The footsteps had stopped.  Squall heaved himself all the bed and with his remaining strength grabbed, through the prison bars, the guard's collar, "Who the Hell was it?"  
"I-I-I don't know!" The guard squealed, obviously the first time he had been on jailor duty.  

"How could you even _doubt_ who it was, Squall?" Rinoa had just finished her calm descent down the stairs.  The guard squealed like a pig and tried to wrench himself free from Squall's grasp.  The agent only looked on in wonder at the coward.  "It's really incredible … I just kick him down the stairs and he's scared shitless." 

Squall let him go and watched as Rinoa made quick work of the frightened trainee.  A swift kick to the abdomen sent him crashing to the wall and an uppercut snapped his neck back.  She bent down for the keys and clicked them off his belt.  Rinoa observed her husband head to toe, "Had a nice recovery?"

"No … not really." Squall replied and rubbed the back of his neck sorely, "Actually, I'm feeling quite shitty." 

She fumbled through the keys and picked one to insert in the lock, it didn't work, "This may take a while." She sighed and grimaced in pain as the cuts in her hands were still paining her and Squall visibly saw the additional massacre that had been dealt to her hands.  He bubbled in fury.  She began to criticize, "Why so many keys?  There are like … two cells here!  What the Hell are the rest for?" Finally, the lock clicked open and the prison door creaked open.  

Squall stepped out and breathed a sigh of relief, "Thanks."

"Well, I wasn't going to _leave _you here … though I won't deny thinking about it." She smiled childishly and stuck out her tongue while he faked an offended look.  He reached out and their moments briefly met.  They both pulled away quickly, knowing work was still to be done.

It took thirty minutes to find the room in which Caraway and Julia were located.  After freeing her parents, Rinoa's instincts pointed to the neighboring room and she was right.  Relief seemed to wash over her when she saw her kids were safe (though the guards that were with them ended up with broken bones).

Unfortunately, they had no way of going up to meet Ackroyde.  The lift set off traps if the fingerprints matched and it was out of the question to _walk_ up those dreadful stairs again.  Who knew if they even led to Ackroyde's office anyways.  

Caraway and Squall began to ponder on more ways to get to the top floor as Julia applied her input as well.  Only Rinoa remained silent, ears perked as if she was the only one who could hear the clicks of the high-heeled shoes down the hallway.  She immediately stepped out and stopped Jennifer dead in her tracks, "YOU!" The secretary of the secretary of the boss shrieked in an annoyed fashion.

"In the flesh." Rinoa added informatively, as if it was necessary, "Would you be so kind as to step inside?" She motioned to the doorway and the secretary was obliged to acquiesce the request.  

"Rinoa, don't you think … it's going a bit … evil?" Squall asked tentatively to his young wife.

"Hey, I'm not the one wearing stilettos here." Rinoa answered curtly and glared at Jennifer whose jaw dropped in offense, "Close your mouth, God knows what's been in _there_." 

"Listen, as adorable as your kids are, and they must have gotten that from Squall by the way, I will not restrain myself from hurting them just to piss you off so you better just shut up." Jennifer snapped, one hand on her hip.

"I'm sorry, I must have misheard … did you just threaten my kids?" Rinoa turned to her and Jennifer seemed to back down, "Because I swear I'll do more than break your nails, sweetheart." Caraway rolled his eyes but kept away from the fray and Julia followed his glorious example.  Squall, unfortunately, missed it.

"Ah … Rin …" He tried to put in aimlessly.

"You, shut up!" Rinoa turned to glare and him (nearly reminding him of the third rule of matrimony 'Thou shalt not interrupt thou beautiful wife's intelligent opinionated speech') and then returned her attention to Jennifer who looked completely appalled. "What was I saying?  Ah yes …" Rinoa continued on as if nothing happened, "You're going to get in an elevator with Squall and I.  You're going to press your little manicured finger on the fingerprint access code.  We're going to go up to Ackroyde's office and then you are going to get out of my sight."

"What do you mean, you and Squall?" Caraway roared out suddenly, "You think you can take Ackroyde alone?"

Rinoa sighed in an annoyed fashion and added meticulously, "And you, father, are going to go with mom _back to the van_ with Alex and Riana and you'll just wait it out, get it?"

"You are making me very angry!" Was the only thing that Caraway could manage through clenched teeth.  
"Just like old times!" Rinoa declared sarcastically, "So then it's settled.  Lead the way, blondie."   
"Ok, no!  I don't agree to this." Jennifer snapped back in protest.  
"I know this is going to be hard, but could you try to be a little less annoying?" Rinoa asked her patiently, "Because I'm extremely tired and I want to go home, or what's left of my home.  I want to just get away from this damned place."  
"Jennifer … just do it." Squall managed as politely as he could.

She looked as if she was considering the pleas coming from the handsome agent that she had been trying to woo into her life for years.  "Fine."

After promising to be back in a flash and a few more arguments between Rinoa and Caraway, the two agents had been off with the secretary towards the elevators.  The ride went on in silence until Jennifer decided it was now safe enough to make a little joke, "So, what's in it for me?  A kiss from Squall?"  
"I beg your pardon?" Rinoa barked angrily, "Run that request by me one more time?" Squall blushed furiously and covered his face with his hand.

"Sorry … I was kidding." Jennifer defended herself, slightly taken aback.  

The color in Squall's face had died down by the time they had reached the top floor.  They exited the elevator and Rinoa managed to thank Jennifer coldly before heading down the hallway to the dreaded office of the great Ackroyde.

***

Caraway, Julia and the two kids maneuvered through the hallways successfully.  That was, until Alex turned a corner and gasp in fear and fell back onto his behind.  He had bumped into an impressive man, dressed in a dark suit.  Beside him was a figure that Alex recognized, "Zell?"  
The rest, who weren't too far behind, caught up and both Julia and Caraway looked at the unknown man, perplexed.  Julia was about to let out a cry of utmost terror when Alessandro Caraway interrupted her, "It's been a while.  I wish I could explain but it would be a very tedious thing to do for me tonight.  Where's Rinoa?"  
"Negotiating with Ackroyde." Caraway was the first to recover.  There had always been a doubt within him.  A doubt that his father's death had been an arranged event of the agency.    
"Dear me, she's bolder than I would have thought!" Alessandro Caraway chuckled, "Well, I'll have to chase after her, now won't I?  Here, you go with Zell …" He pointed to his companion, "It's been great to see you all again." His eyes brimmed with tears and he kneeled to the two small children, "So what are your names?"

"Riana." The small girl pointed to herself meekly.

The taller boy looked at the man trustingly, "My name is Alessandro." The old man's smile seemed to grow wider.

"Well … you'll have to take care of your parents for me.  They're very good people … well … you're father deserves a good kick but he's still got a good heart." The man got up again, "Rinoa will explain everything to you.  Good-bye son, Julia." He nodded to them both and continued on his way to the elevator.

***

"Nice having both your visits." Ackroyde greeted as they strode into his office, unarmed.

Rinoa looked at him detestably but her worst glare was reserved for Seifer who was by his master's side (very surprised that Rinoa had managed another escape).  Squall spoke up, "So … could we end this shit?  Sign some papers, whatever, just let us get out of this city and never return."

"Things aren't as simple, I'm afraid." Ackroyde smirked sinisterly. 

  "Let's _make_ them simple." Rinoa growled angrily, "Because so far this had been pretty damned complicated."  
"Dearly sorry, Rinoa." Ackroyde drawled, faking an apologetic tone, "But giving you freedom from your past would ensure you a life.  And you must have come to the realization, since you're such a smart girl, that you aren't supposed to have a life.  You weren't supposed to have a future.  You weren't supposed to live past that fateful night of the Charles Mission."

"Yes, I realized that with the way you scheduled it.  You made a great big booboo." Rinoa informed him smartly, "And unfortunately, I passed high school math.  Actually, graduated in honors.  But that's besides my point.  The point is that it didn't work and I was watching the clock the entire time.  Hence, your plan failed.  So why did you want to kill us off?"  
"Because you know too much." Ackroyde replied, clearly growing restless of this small talk.

"Don't worry, I have no intentions of divulging your little government classified secrets." Rinoa snapped back, "Of course that's not really enough for you to believe me.  So now, let's make a deal because I am so sick and tired of being here and looking at you and the bastard next to you!" She didn't expect to be the one to do all the talking but she couldn't help herself anymore.  All the words tumbled out; hate scarring every last syllable.

"The one bargain you'll have to make, Rinoa … is one with the grim reaper.  It's not right to cheat death." Ackroyde got up from his desk, pistol in hand, aiming for the couple.

"We didn't cheat death." Squall answered back calmly, "There was just a glitch in fate, ok?  Don't fuck around with life, Ackroyde … hasn't anyone ever told you that?  And yet you sit in this goddamn office, day after day, toying with it!"  
"I'm in no mood for accusations!" Ackroyde roared and slammed his free fist on the desk.

"I'm in no mood to be toyed with." Squall challenged.

A gunshot went off.  Time froze.  A figure recoiled backwards and fell dead to the floor.  

Rinoa spun around to where the noise came from and nearly fainted.  At Ackroyde's doorway, she spotted a figure that she knew all too well.  A figure that she thought she should have forgotten by now.  "Grand-pa?"

"That babbling fool just never shuts up!  It's always on and on and on and for Christ's salty sake!  I've had enough of it!"  Alessandro Caraway criticized openly and shot a glare to Seifer, "And you!  Such a bloody, annoying prick!  I think I'll shoot off those caps in your ass before I rip your throat out!"

She had never seen her grand-father in such a state of anger but she was still stuck on the fact that he was here, real, "Grand-pa, oh my God … holy shit …"  
Her grandfather turned to her and shook a finger, "Watch your language." And then he cleared his throat, "And might I ask what the Hell you were thinking coming here to 'negotiate'?  Or was it _his _brilliant idea?" He pointed an accusing finger at Squall.  
"Hey!  No!" Squall defended himself, "Why is it that the Caraways blame me for everything?" He asked the ceiling.

"Because you're an asshole!" The grandfather replied gruffly, "But anyways, how have you been Rinoa?"  
"I've been … ok … what … how?" She kept looking at her grandfather in awe like he was the living dead.  
"Ah, well you see … in order to ensure your protection … I had to … remove myself from the picture, so to speak.  So … faking death was the best way to accomplish that." He admitted hesitantly, as if he were ashamed, "But I've seen both your kids, Rinny … and they're both beautiful … certainly not the genes of that moron besides you."

"Hey, can I ask why you hate me?" Squall snapped hopelessly.  
"I told you!  Because you're an asshole!" The older man countered and then turned towards his granddaughter, "Is he always this thick-headed?"

Rinoa didn't answer.  All she could do is smile and keep herself from crying.  "I'm not an asshole and I'm not thick-headed!" Squall tried uselessly.  
"Yeah, you really are." Seifer sneering voice came from the other side of the room.  
"Hey, fuck off!" Squall screamed back, "I don't think you can afford to be a smart-ass right now!  In fact, I think I'll be beating the shit out of you right no-"  
"Oh, be quiet you whining dumbass!" Caraway broke in, "I'll be doing the 'taking care' of things from here!  You two … just … run.  Go have a nice peaceful life in Winhill." He added the last past genuinely and continued on that way, "You two deserve it.  Just forget about this place.  I'll be keeping in touch … once in a while."  
Rinoa nodded hesitantly and began walking towards the door, "Hey grand-pa … I'll see you _soon_."

Caraway smiled, "Of course." Squall began to walk away but was called back, "Hey asshole!" His jaw clenched and he walked back to the old man.  Rinoa waited at the doorway.

"Yeah, grand-pa, what?" Squall hissed.  
"Not everyday you marry someone like Rinoa Heartilly." His voice was low and secretive, "Not everyday you have your wife's grandfather threatening your pitiful life if you don't make her happy … is that clear?" Squall nodded and Caraway went on, "Oh, and when I come to visit I expect you to be sleeping in different beds.  None of that children-making going on … get my drift?" Squall blushed furiously and walked away from the man, "Bye Rinoa … bye asshole!"

"What'd he tell you?" Rinoa asked curiously to her blushing husband when they had gotten into the elevator.

"Nothing mildly intelligent." Squall replied stressfully, "He's off his rocker."  
"That _is _my grandfather that you're talking about." Rinoa reminded him innocently.  
"Yeah, well, if I told you what he _requested _you'd be thinking the same." Squall lamented himself but changed the subject quickly, "It's over."  
"Yeah." Rinoa quivered, smiling.  Then, without prior notice, burst into tears.  
"Hey!" Squall protested, "What … what-a?  Why're you crying?" He hugged her against him.  
"Because it's over." She replied through her sobs, her voice muffled by his torn shirt.

"Yeah, baby, that's a good thing." Squall whispered and held her tightly.

"This is it … 'beyond the bloodshed' has just begun." She wrapped her arms around his waist, unable to control the tears that she had held back for so long.

"Yeah … it's just begun."

Sabam: **THIS IS NOT THE LAST CHAPTER BY ANY MEANS!  THERE WILL BE A SHORT EPILOGUE FOLLOWING THIS CHAPTER!** So please review! 


	30. Epilogue

Disclaimer: Uhm … I was supposed to do this disclaimer in Spanish but I don't know how.  I still don't own SquareEnix by the way.

Epilogue 

The handsome man stood on the edge of the small fishing boat, overlooking the vast ocean that surrounded him.  The sun was just rising over the horizon, the seagulls swarmed near the port, and the salty air whisked across his face and ruffled his hair.  He breathed in and sighed deeply.  He loved this.  Everything: the sea, the puffy clouds, the cooling breeze.  There was something about Winhill that blew his mind away.

And yet it had nothing to blow anything.  It was calm, peaceful.  Everything that Deling City seemed to lack.  The few economical activities were the ruins nearby that attracted tourists, fishing, mining and the odd farming activity.  That was all.  Life was as simple as the first letter of the alphabet.  There could be no complications.

"Hey, Leonheart!  What the Hell are you doing?" Zell's voice asked from the deck, "What the Hell are you doing?" Squall rolled his eyes and jumped down from the side of the ship.  

"Trying to calm down," Squall explained sarcastically, "But I suppose with you on board, that's impossible." He shoved Zell, not knowing his strength, and sending him crashing to the floor, "Oops …" He smirked and continued past him.

"That wasn't very nice." A tall man sitting on a wooden crate commented, and tipped his cowboy hat upwards, "But then again … that whole 'caring' thing was never really you." He joked slightly and continued unknotting the fishing nets, "I wonder how you even managed to date a wonderful woman such as Rinoa."

"Ah shaddup, Kinneas." Squall pouted, "My wife isn't _nice_ or _caring_.  She pretends to be." He defended his cause valiantly, "And keep your eyes off her, got that?" He growled additionally.  Kinneas chuckled lightly.

"Quit playing around!" The captain waved his hands in the air in frustration, "I tell you boys over and over that fishing is a morning job and we leave late every goddamn day!  Hurry the Hell up!  Blessed, bruised virgin, will ya hurry up?" 

"Yes, Herman.  We're hurrying, we're hurrying." Squall drawled sarcastically, pulling up the anchor slowly and dropping it on the floor, "Let's go catch some fishies."

***

"You _aren't _sick." Rinoa looked at her son for the hundredth time that morning but by now it was too late.  Riana had already embarked the school bus and had long entered the halls of the local school.

"I am!" Alex coughed over and over again to prove his point but it only earned him a skeptical look from his mother, "I had fever on Monday!"

"Yes … however, today is Friday." Rinoa reminded him casually from the other side of the counter, "You're such a _faker_!" She pointed and accused crossly.  

Alex shrugged, "I'm not.  And grand-ma told me you used to fake all the time when you were my age." The boy stuck out his tongue and gave her a satisfied look.

Rinoa had decided to take the boy to work today.  Friday was always a busy day for people checking into the inn for the weekend.  Upon their arrival in Winhill, her father had opened an inn and a bar.  Both were connected to each other and she had mooched herself a job.  She had grown restless and couldn't stay at home doing nothing.  They had also hired another girl to help out in the afternoon and her and Rinoa had soon become friends.  

Alex sat on the opposite side of the wooden counter just looking at his mother waiting for her response.  "Yeah, well I had a good reason to fake." She lied and spotted a customer enter the inn.  He walked over to the check-in counter.

"Hello.  Reservations under Ken Avery." He flashed a smile.  Rinoa typed in his name in the computer and spotted his name.  She looked up to him and noticed his facial features.  He wasn't bad looking.  Under thirty … blondish red hair, cut short and spiked with gel.  He was well built, a nice tan.  

She smirked, "Right.  Staying here till Thursday."  He had reserved a room with a kitchenette, a non-smoking room, cable TV, one double bed.  She opened the third drawer to her right that was divided into ten compartments.  She picked up the keys for room '33' and handed them to him, "Have a nice stay."  
"I'm here to write an article about cod fishing in Winhill." The guy stuck around and Alex couldn't help glaring at him.  The man didn't notice him at all, "I'm a journalist … from Timber."

"Un huh …" Rinoa replied uninterestedly, "There are no cod in Winhill … I think you mean haddock.  But in any case, you'll probably be working with my _boyfriend_." She added nonchalantly, taking immense pleasure in the disappointed face that now sported the Mr. Ken Avery.  
"Yes.  That's probably it." He replied and his face soon took on the smug look again, "Well … I'll be going off to _room 33._" He stressed on his room number as if he was expecting her to remember it for some later use.  
"Yes … _room 33_." Rinoa repeated dully, "Have fun." 

"Sorry, how exactly do you get to room 33?" The man was about to walk away but another plan had formulated in his head, "Could you accompany me to it, I've never stayed here before and …"  
"Ok, listen.  The stairs are right there." Rinoa pointed in annoyance, "I'd really love to go with you but my _son_ isn't feeling very well.  He suffers from amathophobia.  If I leave him alone for thirty minutes-uh I mean, five seconds, he might spot a speck of dust and completely flip out.  So just follow the stairs … room 33 is on the third floor.  There are only ten rooms on each floor so it can't be that complicated to find it."

"Yeah, plus my _father_ might be here soon so you can ask _him_ where room 33 is and I promise you'll _fly_ into it.  Faster than a NASA aircraft." Alex glared at him menacingly.

Ken Avery backed off slightly and headed towards the stairs silently.  Rinoa smirked, "Bye bye …" She muttered, "Good riddance."

"What's amathophobia?" Alessandro asked curiously after the man was out of earshot.  
Rinoa bit the inside of her mouth not to laugh, "It's the … uh … _fear of dust._" She admitted hesitantly.

"Thanks mom, thanks a lot.  Make me look metal, why don't you." Alex muttered angrily and pouted.

"Quit being a baby … it's an actual condition."  Rinoa played with the chain at her neck and leaned backwards on the wall, "I mean … _you're_ clinophobic."

"What is _that_?" Alex asked in exhasperation.

"You seem to have this fear of going to bed." Rinoa joked, "It takes half and hour to pull you, kicking and screaming, into your bedroom.  Another hour is sacrificed into convincing you to get your pajamas on … and by then you're father and I are so sick and tired of hearing you scream that we let you watch TV for twenty minutes and then another half hour of Hellish yells when we try to get you to bed again."

"Ha ha …" Alex laughed sarcastically and pressed the matter no further.

The day passed on without any strikingly interesting events.  The short, young employee bounced in at approximately one thirty in the afternoon, bursting with energy, "Hi Rin!  Alex?  What are _you _here for?"

"He's faking sick." Rinoa explained.  Alex glared at her.  "Does Danny ever do that to you, Selphie?"  
"Yeah, but I'm not nice enough to fall for it." Selphie smiled and pranced behind the counter, she looked at Alex and smiled, "Your mother's either really merciful or really stupid …"

"And it's not the latter!" Rinoa snapped before Alex could even open his mouth.

"Yeah, well she's certainly not merciful." Alex pouted and Rinoa glared at him.

"Don't give me attitude or I'll break your nose." She threatened him with a shaking fist and he looked at her unbelievingly.

"Yeah … right.  And I'll call social services."  
"Good riddance." Rinoa smirked.  
"HEY!" He cried in protest, offended, "You're mean."

Riana arrived at the inn at 3:30 p.m. with Selphie's son and daughter, Danny and Sabrina.  It was five o'clock when both Selphie and Rinoa headed into the kitchens and began to prepare dinner.  The conversation strayed and wandered until Selphie introduced a new topic out of the blue, "Hey, I never asked you before … what's your story?"  Rinoa stared at her, perplexed, "Oh come on … no one comes to Winhill willingly.  There's always a reason.  What're you running away from?"

"I'm not running from anything." Rinoa stated firmly, "And I'd really rather discuss something else." Selphie smiled slightly, "What?"

"Well … it's kind of obvious that you and Squall have quite a history." Selphie admitted in a small voice, "I mean … you're people of many memories … scars." She looked to see Rinoa's facial expression that remained stoic. "I mean … a cut on the palm of your hands with a perpendicular, shorter ones … that show up on the top of your hand like something was stabbed through … it's not that hard to miss."

"I figured as much." Rinoa murmured and continued stirring the pasta in the huge pot that was set on the stove.

"You don't have to tell me, I guess." Selphie added quickly, "It's personal I guess … you know, I used to live in Deling.  Got involved with a certain Phillip Charles … biggest mistake of my life." Rinoa froze and dropped the wooden spoon on the floor.  She picked it up quickly as if nothing was and told Selphie to go on.  The young girl started again hesitantly, "His father … was a power hungry gentleman who wanted the president dead and when Phillip got … uh … _killed _… I was taken to an agency of some sort … secret government organization." Selphie stopped, "You probably think I'm on drugs."

Rinoa laughed nervously, "Oh yeah, who's ever heard of such a thing?"

"Are you ok?" Selphie asked worriedly, "You're shaking."

"Yeah … no." Rinoa inhaled and exhaled rhythmically, "I'm fine.  Look, Selphie … I know exactly what you're talking about but I'd rather stray from the subject.  Maybe that agency helped you … but it made life Hell for me."

"Yeah … it did help me." Selphie nodded, "It's kind of thanks to them that I got out of the mess that inexperienced teenagers usually get themselves in."

"It's not all bad if you're an outsider." Rinoa declared softly, "It's when you're part of the gang that it's a bitch.  Whatever.  It's over now."

Squall and the whole fishing crew arrived at six.  They ordered beer and everyone reunited around the bar area for a good supper.  It was some sort of Friday ritual that had begun when Squall and Rinoa had moved here and Caraway had opened his inn.  

"Hey, Rinoa … I was wondering …" Zell put an arm around her shoulders, "I mean, I just want to let you know that if Squall ever …"  
"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Squall roared angrily.

"Yeah, get away from me!" Rinoa agreed and pushed him off, "And don't you have a girlfriend anyways?  What about that girl who works at the library?" He blushed and turned away.

"Mommy … Can I go sleepover at Sabrina's?" Riana asked over a glass of orange juice. 

"I don't know.  Maybe you should ask Selphie and Irvine first." Rinoa reminded her.

Selphie overheard and stepped in, "No, ask me.  I'm the boss.  Irvine holds no power." Irvine shook his head and mouthed 'Not true …' in the background, "And yes, you may come.  Actually, Alex can come too!"  Alex who had been playing cards with Danny looked up.

"Oh yeah!  Please?" He looked at his mother hopefully.

"No!" Rinoa protested to his puppy-faced looks, "What is this?  You're supposed to be sick!  If you're going to fake, fake it properly!"

Alex sulked but turned towards his father, "Hey dad, can I go sleepover at Danny's?"

Squall, who hadn't been paying attention shrugged, "Yeah, sure, I don't see a problem."

"_Squall_!" Rinoa yelled accusingly, "Your son woke up this morning, stating that he wasn't feeling well and you told me to let him miss school, which was a complete act in the first place because now he's asking you if he could go sleepover at a friend's house.  The very same boy who moaned in pain this morning because he didn't want to go to school!" Squall shrugged and Rinoa groaned in annoyance, "Ok, forget it.  Do what you want.  This is incredible."

It was later in that evening that everyone went back home, sobering up first with a coffee.  Rinoa and Squall returned home alone.  Squall unlocked the front door and flicked on the light in the main hall, "You're pissed at me?"  
"Yes!" Rinoa replied without the slightest hesitation.

"Why?" Squall gave her the puppy eyes that she was so used to having from her son.  Now she knew whom Alessandro got it from.

"Because you're making him think that he can get away from anything and get everything he wants!" Rinoa snapped, "Not to mention that you didn't take out the garbage this morning!"

"I'm sorry!  I just forgot!" Squall groped for an excuse in vain.  
"Oh, just shut up!" She started up the stairs towards the second floor.  He sighed and followed after her.

"Come on, you can't be pissed at me forever." Squall declared hopefully, following her into the bathroom where she had begun to take off her watch and earrings.    
"No, but I can be pissed at you for tonight.  A _Friday night_.  And tomorrow too … and for an entire month if it so pleases me, Squall Leonheart, because unfortunately for you, I don't have the same amount of testosterone as you do!"  
He cringed slightly, "Yeah … I know.  I can tell.  I've lived with you for long enough."

"Thirty whole entire days, how will you survive?" She was now beginning to enjoy paining him, "Even worse … I could exile you to the couch."

"Rinoa …" Squall whined and his shoulders stooped, "This isn't really fair."

"720 hours, 43200 minutes, 2592000 seconds!" A faint smile was beginning to appear on Rinoa's face, "What're you gunna do, Squally, what're you gunna do?"

Squall looked as if to be concentrating really hard and then he smirked, "Jack off." 

She stuck out her tongue in repulsion, "You're disgusting."

"I'm kidding … but so were you, right?" Squall asked confidently, "Right?  You'd never do something like that to me, right?  The whole 720 hours thing without … Rinoa?  Right?" She failed to answer.  "Rinoa??"

"Maybe." She admitted and pushed Squall out of the bathroom, "Maybe not."

"Hey, what're you doing?" Squall asked as she closed the door in his face.

"Changing into my pajamas." She replied through the closed and locked door.

"And you never thought it would maybe be considerate to ask me if I'd like to watch?" He asked jokingly but she didn't reply right away.

There was a thirty-second interval and then she asked, "You wanna watch?"

Sensing the opportunity, Squall played around with the doorknob, "Yeah, I kinda do."

"Too bad." She replied and his face fell.  She stepped out of the bathroom in her sleeping wear and he caught her before she could make her way to the bed, "Hey, I'm not as mean as you.  I'll let you watch me while I get change.  Actually … you can even change me yourself.  A hands on thing." He smirked.

"Ha ha …" She laughed sarcastically but surprisingly took up on his offer.  She pulled off his shirt over his head and kissed him softly on the lips, "Goodnight, baby …" She reached for his pillow and handed it to him, "On the couch."

"You're kidding?" He looked absolutely horrified.

"I don't know.  Does it look it?" She looked absolutely serious.

"Rinoa …" He whimpered and his eyes were those of a beaten puppy's, "I love you …"

"So?" She asked as if the question of love had absolutely nothing to do with it.

"You're kidding …" Squall proclaimed uncertainly.  To make sure he kissed her, deepening the kiss while wrapping his arms around her waist and drawing her body closer to his.  It was an assertive way of unmasking her intentions.

She pulled away because she was bubbling with laugher, "Yeah, well thank God." Squall concluded.  

"Oh yeah, the look on your face was priceless." She laughed at his frown.  He didn't look too amused at the fact that he had been played with, "You looked sadder than a child who just broke his toy." He pouted and flicked off the light.

"Whatever."

A normal life.  A normal couple.  Despite their attempts, their experiences keep them from really living the typical lifestyle of a normal family.  It's impossible.  But they can still try.  They can still have a future.  They can still look past the blood, the shattered dreams, the untimely deaths.  They can still live beyond it all.  

Sabam: IT'S MOFO OVER!  YEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAW!  Ok, well, I had to end on a light-hearted note so… that was it.  YAY!  Ok … just … review or I'll find out where you live, ok?  Oh, did everyone get the connection between Rinoa, Selphie and Phillip Charles?  Phillip Charles was the son of Mr. Charles that was mentioned at the beginning.  It's insinuated that Rinoa and Squall probably killed Phillip and his father, thus saving Selphie from whatever trouble she was in.  I know it's not clear but you have to be observant.  Anyways, review!

Biology Note: Men have more testosterone than women, thus making them crave sexual relations more often than women.  Poor, poor Squall … Of course, this biology rule has some exceptions to it.  I'm not a doctor so don't ask me to explain any of this further.  


End file.
